Life Goes On
by LindaLeeB
Summary: Danny is finally ready to move on from his dream of being with Rachel. Steve is ready to let Danny in his life. Pre-slash moving onto something more eventually. First in the series.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV. **

It was finally the day that Danny had been waiting for: Rachel was bringing Grace back home, back to Hawaii. It seemed like a year since he had seen his precious daughter although it had been only a few days since Rachel and Grace flew back to New Jersey the night his life fell apart. It seemed that for a few days, he would have everything he wanted in life. He would have Rachel as his wife again and he would be a full-time father to Grace. He had a job he loved and the greatest people in the world to work with.

Then Steve had gone commando on the governor and ended up in jail, charged with her murder. Chin was back with HPD, Kono was implicated in the theft of ten million dollars from the asset forfeiture locker, and Danny was left in limbo. He made the only choice he could, staying in Hawaii to clear Steve and Kono. He knew it would cost him his family. Rachel would never understand. Then came the devastating news that the baby was not his.

Slowly Danny was making his peace with reality. With the help of an old friend, Steve has been exonerated. Even better, the lieutenant governor re-established 5-0 with Steve as its leader. Danny and Chin were back on the team. Kono is still suspended pending the results of her case.

Danny wasn't sure how he will face Rachel. Little did he know that Rachel is having similar thoughts. She doesn't know how she is going to face Danny or Stan. Cheating on Stan was out of character for her, but Danny is a force of nature. Now she and Stan having a child together. She told Danny she was trying to save her marriage with Stan for the sake of the baby. It was a copout; she had walked away from Danny and took Grace with her. The truth is that Stan is safer, and he will make her a priority. Danny never did and never will, not the way she needs. The baby is Stan's but she knows she using it as an excuse. It will be a long time before Rachel will feel good about what she has done.

Danny has another problem. He already notified his landlord that he would be moving. He has a week left before he's homeless. And though it's hard to believe, there's already a new renter waiting to take occupancy. With the unpaid time off while 5-0 was disbanded, he doesn't have enough in his account to come up with the first month's rent and security deposit.

Well, that will have to wait for another day. Grace's plane has landed and he can see the passengers making their way to baggage claim. Suddenly, he hears her calling him. "Danno, I've missed you so much." Then she launched herself into his arms. They were both laughing and crying at the same time. He had Grace for the weekend and life would be good for a little while.

"Danny". Rachel was standing there, waiting for his rant. She knew she had it coming. But Danny was done with her. In a way, it was a relief. Like he told Steve, he knew it was a matter of time before she got tired of waiting for him to come home, tired of being afraid he wouldn't make it home at all. He would be walking on eggshells waiting for it to happen. It was time to get over it and get on with his life.

"Rachel, what time do you want her home on Sunday?" Rachel was so startled that for a moment, she didn't know what to say. Then, she knew what had to come next. It was time to stop punishing Danny for the past. She had taken away one child in the divorce and then the move to Hawaii. She had taken away another child last week when she discovered the timing was wrong for Danny to be the father of the new baby. At least she could restore some of his loss.

"Danny, bring her back when you're ready on Sunday, just not too late. And next week, we need to talk about our custody agreement. I think we should share custody, 50-50. You would no longer pay child support as you would have her half of the time. You'll need to find more suitable living arrangements and child-care as well. I imagine your 5-0 family can help with that. We can start as soon as you make the arrangements. I'm really sorry about everything."

Rachel was in tears now, and Danny's eyes were bright with unshed tears as well. It seemed that they both were trying to let go of past pain. "Rachel, I don't know what to say. I didn't expect this. Let me see what I can do and I'll let you know as soon as I know something. Thanks, thanks a lot. You know how much this means to me. I'll have her back around 7 on Sunday. And for what it's worth, I'm really sorry too."

Danny saw Stan approaching and decided he was not ready to face him yet. Instead, he retrieved Grace's luggage and simply nodded at Stan on the way out. "Let blow this joint and have some fun Monkey! How does that sound?" Grace finally loosened her hold on Danny and they walked out of the terminal.


	2. Chapter 2

_This is my very first fanfic and I'm enjoying writing it more than I thought possible. Thanks for the encouragement._

**Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV. **

Steve was enjoying the weekend. It was good to be out of jail. 5-0 had been reinstated. Things were looking up for a change. He had lost everything and now it looked as if he had a second chance. Still, there were issues to be addressed. The lieutenant governor, soon to be Governor Denning, had put them on a short leash. Kono is under investigation and possible prosecution for stealing $10,000,000 from the asset forfeiture locker. And Danno is heartbroken that his reconciliation with Rachel has failed. There's no new baby in his future. At least Grace is back in Hawaii. Danny couldn't lose his precious daughter too.

Steve had such mixed emotions about the turn of events with Danny. He is still trying to sort through his feelings for his partner. It started out as purely professional with a side of comic relief for good measure. He surely loved to wind Danny up. The topics were endless: professional attire, sand everywhere, pineapple on pizzas, island time, proper police procedure, his ex-wife, her husband, her lawyer. You name it, Danny could rant about it. He was so touched by the devotion Danno showed his Monkey. If only his dad had kept his children close, if only Steve and Mary had known why they had been sent away, if only he could talk to his dad one more time… then maybe he wouldn't have this ache every time he thought about family. Somehow his team had become family and he finally thought maybe the ache would fade away.

When Danny was dying from exposure to sarin nerve gas, Steve had a moment of clarity. He loved Danny! He can't lose Danny! The relief he felt when the doctors said Danny would recover was short-lived when he saw Rachel in Danny's arms that night. He hardly knew what to say when Danny came into work the next day. "Were you ever going to tell me?" It was great to see Danny so happy even as his own heart was breaking. He felt responsible for costing Danny his chance with Rachel, even as he knew in his heart it wouldn't have lasted. The baby wasn't his and the pressure's from Danny's job would always be a sore spot with Rachel.

Now he had to confront his feelings. He had never been attracted to a man before. The idea kind of freaked him out, especially when he thought about it from the outside. But when he thought about it from the inside, how he wanted to get closer to Danny, it wasn't so weird. In fact, it made him feel hopeful for a change. He'd been alone for so long. It started with his mother's sudden and tragic death, continued with his exile from Hawaii, and was firmly cemented by his years as a Seal and later in Naval Intelligence. He was tired of being alone.

True, he has ohana now. But at the end of the day, they all went their separate ways. The only time the house came alive was when the team came over for their regular gatherings. And when Grace came over with Danny, well that was the best. He was 'Uncle Steve'. He had such a soft spot for her. Steve had never been around children. That was obvious even to Danny after the little interlude in the elevator early in their partnership. Somehow, Grace brought out the best in him. He was teaching to swim and how to build elaborate sand castles on his beach. She was his ally in his efforts to get Danny to love Hawaii the way they did. And she was teaching him how to be 'Uncle Steve'. To say she brought out his inner child would be an understatement.

He wanted Danny with him, that much he was sure of. Grace would be a bonus, the icing on a very enticing cake. That couldn't be too much to ask, could it? After all, he had planned countless ops as a Seal. He just needed to gather some intel, consider his options, and execute his most important op: Operation Danno. For now, he would settle for seeing Danny and Grace this weekend. Little did he know that Danny was looking for an excuse to call Steve.

Danny's potential homeless situation was weighing heavily on him. The added incentive of gaining time with Grace meant he would do almost anything to find suitable housing. The money issue loomed large. He needed time to recoup his loss from his short unemployment period. If he could find a place for a couple of months to stay with Grace, the money he would save in child support would provide a cushion to let him set up a nice place for Grace.

Grace has been peppering Danny with questions about Steve and the rest of the team all the way back to his apartment. She had the most to ask about Uncle Steve. Was he sad to be in jail? Did it hurt bad when he was stabbed? Was he happy to be back home? He realized this gave him the perfect excuse to call Steve.

"Hey Danno, what's up? You've got Grace, right? She got back from the mainland okay, didn't she?" Steve was delighted to see Danny's name on his phone and then momentarily panicked that something else had gone wrong.

"Slow down super-Seal. Grace is right here and asking a million questions about her Uncle Steve. She's worried that you're not okay. Can we came over to see you?" Danny held his breath as he waited for Steve's reply. Maybe Steve just wanted to be alone. After all, he had no privacy in prison.

"Danno, you know that you're always welcome here. I was just sitting here thinking how quiet it was around here. I think you and Grace are just the people I need right now." Steve was relieved that Grace made it home and maybe he would see the two people he had been thinking about so much. Then he had an inspiration. "You know, I just finished cleaning the place up here and re-stocked the kitchen. I think I should have a house party. Why don't you come over for the weekend, or at least part of it?"

Steve crossed his fingers and hoped that he hadn't pushed too much. He had never gone after anything for himself. He had lived to serve and protect for so long. He had almost lost everything trying to avenge his parents' deaths. He had felt as if he was destined to live alone and die alone. It was time to take something for himself. He remembered what his mom used to say. "Steve, you never know until you ask. The worst they can tell you is no."

Danny considered the offer for about half a second. Then he did a little mental fist pump and settled himself. "Well, that's a very generous offer. Are you sure? I mean, are you sure you don't want a little peace and quiet? Because you know that the Williams' are not known for being peaceful, much less quiet."

Steve did his own little happy dance, mentally of course. Then he replied in his best 'Joe Cool' tone. "Of course I'm sure. It was just a few days ago that I was afraid that I would never see you guys again. I can't wait 'til you get here."

"Tell you what. Let me get a few things together. We'll be over in about an hour. Do you want me to pick up anything?" Danny was hoping that whatever Steve needed wouldn't be expensive. He was kind of tapped out.

"No Danny. I've got it covered. Just bring yourself and Grace. Danny, I'm really happy that you're coming over. So much has happened in such a short time. I feel like I've got emotional whiplash here. I just need the people who are most important to me around now." This was hard for Steve. He wasn't used to 'sharing'. He knew that he would have to break down those walls if he was ever going to let anyone in. And he wanted Danno (and Grace) in more than he had wanted anything in a very long time.

One of the guards at the prison liked to listen to music while he was on duty. Steve thought for a while he just enjoyed 'torturing' the prisoners with his country music. Then he realized that it was kind of a different culture. The music spoke of everyday life, family, work, heartbreak. What was that old joke? Oh yeah, what happens when you play country music backwards? You get your wife back, you get your house back, you get your dog back….

One day he heard a familiar voice sing about a house with no doors. A man wanted to build a house with no doors so his wife couldn't leave him again. The builder refused, pointing out that without a door, no one could get into the house. Well, Steve was putting a door in his 'house' and letting Danny in.

"_House with No Doors" was sung by the legendary George Strait on his CD "Troubadour". All kidding aside, country music is great and be sure to check out any of George's songs when you get a chance. By now, you can see where I'm heading with this. Not sure how many chapters this will be. I suppose that's a common mistake of a novice. I just like to think I'm on a journey and will know I'm there when I get there._


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks to everyone for the encouragement. I've enjoyed reading the fanfic the last few months when the season finale left me so sad for the team. It's taken me six months to come up with a plot. I'm gratified that even though I turned 60 last week, I can still do something a little creative. _

**Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV. **

Steve had been pacing for ten minutes, waiting for Danny and Grace. He decided against firing up the grill. That would wait until tomorrow when then team came over, along with his SEAL mentor Joe White. Instead, he started a pot of spaghetti sauce. It was an old recipe of his mom's that he had found a few months ago. Somehow, he thought his mom would be happy to know that he was making it for his new family. A salad was chilling in the fridge, and he had a box of the 'cocoa puffs' that Danny (and Steve) loved.

Now Steve was peering out the front window, looking for the silver Camaro. Great, when did he become a 15 year old girl! Frustrated with his own impatience, he strode back into the kitchen to stir the sauce. Just as he was heading back to the front door, he heard the car pull into the driveway. He didn't care how it looked; he threw open the door and stood there with a big, goofy grin on his face.

Grace didn't wait for Danny to help her out of the car. She shot out of the car and into Steve's waiting hug. "Uncle Steve, I missed you so much." Steve was so choked he couldn't reply. He stood there blinking back tears, rocking her back and forth.

Danny finally made it out of the car and looked over at Steve. His heart skipped a beat. There is nothing more compelling that finding out your best friend loves your daughter almost as much as you do. Danny felt a flash of something he couldn't put a name to. He would have to think about it later. For now, he wanted some of that hug Steve was giving Grace.

"Hey Monkey, scoot over. I want to give Uncle Steve a hug too."

Steve wasted no time pulling Danny in. "You do, do you? Last time we did this, Sang Min kind of screwed it up for us." Steve couldn't help remembering the little sidebar about Danny and Rachel and the hug they shared. It was a bittersweet time then but this is so much better.

"Danny, Grace, let's get your bags and get you settled in." With that, Steve swiped the keys and popped the trunk. He scooped up Grace's 'Hello Kitty' suitcase and Danny's duffel bag. "Hey Danno, can you grab Grace's activity bag? We playing Barbie's again Grace?" Steve was babbling now and couldn't seem to stop himself.

Danny had to laugh now. He had been a little nervous on the drive over; he felt guilty that he was going to try to maneuver Steve into inviting him to move in, with Grace no less. He shouldn't feel that guilty; after all, Steve had criticized his 'shit-hole' apartment often enough. Maybe he should just be straight-forward with Steve. Yeah, Danny knew that would be the only way to go. Steve was his family; family is who you go to when you have no one else to turn to.

"I got it Steve. And give me the keys back, will you!" Steve was only out of jail a couple of days and already reverting back to treating the Camaro like it was his own. The men walked to the front door and into the house with Grace still holding her Uncle Steve's hand. Danny was leading the others up the stairs and suddenly stopped, creating his own little traffic jam.

"What is that I smell? Are you actually making a meal that doesn't involve charcoal and the great outdoors?" Danny was surprised and a little touched. He had seen Steve grill burgers, steaks, fish, and even hot dogs for Grace (although Steve agreed with Ralph Nader about the questionability of mixed pork products in a tube). He had even seen Steve whip up a decent omelet, albeit one using only egg whites. This smelled of tomatoes and spices. Meals had been a little lean lately and the aroma made his mouth water.

"Yes Danno, I'm making spaghetti for dinner. It's one of my mother's recipes. I thought the occasion called for something special, sort of bridging the gap between my family and my new ohana." That really stopped Danny in his tracks. Steve sold seldom spoke of his mom. His dad came up often since they spent so much time going after Victor Hesse. Speaking of his mom choked Steve up even after all these years.

"That sounds great Steve. It's been a while since I've had a nice family dinner. I think it's just what we all need." Danny remembered where he was and started back upstairs. Steve dropped Grace's gear in Mary's old room. New linens were on the bed, something girly for Grace. Steve went into his old room next and deposited Danny's bag at the foot of the bed. It too sported new linens as well as a new box spring and mattress.

Danny had complained loud and hard about his fold-out couch and how it killed his back. Steve wasn't above playing hardball to convince Danny to fall in with 'Operation Danno'. He was making headway to accomplishing step one: get Danny to move in. After all, Steve figured he would be a decent housemate. He was neat, he wasn't noisy, and he had the best back yard in the world. Wait, scratch the back yard. Danno don't swim, and he hates sand.

"Steven, this looks different and I mean that in a really nice way. You cooked and apparently redecorated here. Did you maybe hit your head when you were fighting with Victor Hesse? You seem to be channeling Martha Stewart." Danny looked around, amazed at the change. Both rooms had been cleared of childhood memorabilia and were quite welcoming.

"Funny Danny. No, I don't have a head injury. I just decided that it was time for me to let go of the past. I can't change what happened to Mom and Dad. I can stop letting it dictate the rest of life. I cost everyone so much. I almost destroyed what I had been building with you, Chin, and Kono. I can't let that happen again. It's time to move past the pain and onto something better."

Steve had been staring out the bedroom window, afraid to see Danny's reaction to his revelation. Steve was opening that door in his 'house' wide now. He finally found the courage to turn to Danny.

Danny couldn't believe what he was hearing. Earlier that day, he had made a similar decision concerning his own future. Now it looked like he and Steve were on a similar path, trying to move past all the heartbreak and tragedy. Maybe they could travel that road together.

Danny moved over to Steve and put an encouraging hand around his shoulder. "Steve, I know what you mean. I came to a similar decision about me and Rachel. It's not easy to let go of the pain. I think sometimes it was all that kept me going on the long lonely nights. It's not good for us babe." Danny spoke softly to Steve, wanting to show him he understood.

"Thanks Danno. Hey, I'd better get downstairs and stir the sauce. I'd hate to burn dinner." Steve knew it was time to lighten the mood. Danny was an old hand at expressing himself, but neither men were good at talking about their emotions. They are guys after all.

Suddenly Grace chose that moment to pop in. "Danno, come see my room. It's so pretty. Uncle Steve, did you fix it just for me?"

"I sure did Grace. You're my best girl, after all. There's no one else I'd rather have rather have here than you and Danno. What do you say we go down and finish fixing dinner? You can help set the table."

With that, they all went downstairs and into the kitchen. They spent the next half hour boiling up the pasta and heating some garlic bread. Soon they settled at the table. Steve had done an excellent job preparing his mom's sauce. It was thick and spicy, just the way he liked it. Apparently Danny and Grace agreed. They ate while Grace filled them in on her adventures in New Jersey. The men were content to listen to her tales; there is nothing more special than looking at life through the eyes of a child.

After dishes were washed and put away, they all took a walk on the beach. Danny even took off his shoes. The men walked in silence, content to watch Grace scamper to collect shells. It wasn't long before she grew tired. The difference in Eastern daylight time and Hawaii time is a bitch, even for a nine year old. Soon Grace was tucked up in the new sheets, first by Uncle Steve and then by her beloved Danno. "Good night Danno. I really missed you."

"Me too Monkey. Danno loves you."

Danny left the door partly open in case Grace woke up and needed something later. He noticed night lights in the hall and bathroom. He understood why there was a night light in the bedroom, but the hall and bathroom too? He couldn't resist teasing Steve. "What, are you afraid of the dark now? What's with the night lights?"

"Danny, I was afraid that Grace might need to use the bathroom during the night and couldn't find her way around. I wanted to make sure Grace would be safe here."

"Thanks Steve. It's been a great night. I hate to put a damper on the evening but I need to talk to you about something. Are you up for it?" Danny hated to talk about his problems after what had been such a nice time with Grace and Steve. He knew it would be hanging over him until he settled the issues. And he really wanted to enjoy this weekend. No, he needed to enjoy this weekend.

"Sure Danny. Want a beer?" Steve and Danny settled in the living room with a couple of Longboards. It was both comfortable and comforting. They had spent a lot of nights over the winter (if you can call tropical weather winter) watching ball games and old cop shows on TV Land. Steve got all the channels in high definition.

"What's up Danny? How are things with Rachel? Is she giving you a hard time about visitation again." Steve hoped that wasn't the case. Whereas Governor Jameson had been willing to help Danny with that, he knew it would be a while before he would earn any favors from the new guy.

Over the next hour, Danny laid it all out. He was losing his apartment in a week. He was in a hole financially for the short term. Rachel was miraculously offering to share custody only after suitable housing and child-care could be established. He needed a place to stay for a couple of months until he could get caught up and save the requisite first month's rent and security deposit. He made sure Steve knew that he wasn't blaming him for any of this. It was just the way it turned out.

Steve was way ahead of Danny. He knew what Danny was asking before Danny could even speak the words. But he knew Danny needed to finish so he waited patiently (for a change) to ask.

"So anyway Steve. I hate to ask but I really need a place for me and Grace. I could manage somehow to get us a place in 2 or 3 months, but I don't think I can wait that long to have her with me. Would it be possible for us to stay with you? I'd be able to pay rent and I'm willing and able to help around here. It would mean having Grace underfoot half the time, but she's a really great kid and I could keep her out of your way."

"Danny, I don't think that would work out at all." Danny looked stricken. He was sure Steve would help and he really needed this. Steve realized that Danny was misinterpreting his answer.

"No Danno, you don't understand. I would love to have you and Grace here. It wouldn't work for you to keep her out of my way. I love her too. We can work out the details later, maybe after you take Grace back on Sunday evening. We can move your stuff out of your apartment this week after work. It will be great having you here."

For the first time since that awful night when Chin took McGarrett away from the governor's mansion in a squad car, Danny felt the fist around his heart loosen. He felt lighter somehow, almost buoyant. "Thanks Steven." That was about all Danny could say.

Steve knew they were both on emotional overload. What was next, the Jerry Springer show? They could still make it on "Oprah" before she went off the air. "Hey, I DVR'd the Yankees-Tigers game earlier. Verlander's pitching so I think the Yankees could be in trouble. Want to watch it anyway?"

The men spent the rest of the evening watching the ball game. Sure enough, Verlander was on the mound for the Tigers. The Yankees almost made a comeback in the bottom of the ninth but Valverde (known as Papa Grande to his fans) shut down the Yankee bats. Even though the Yankees lost, Danny couldn't remember when he felt so contented. And Steve was also very contented. He had accomplished step one in 'Operation Danno' without any real effort on his part. He put every effort to make Danny and Grace feel at home.

_If you haven't guessed, I'm a Tigers' fan. The Yankees-Tigers division series is still hasn't faded to memory yet, and I can't resist tweaking the Yankee fans. Go Tigers!_


	4. Chapter 4

_It's rainy today so I have time to write this afternoon. The response to my story is overwhelming. I've been a life-long reader. Books are my cocaine, and the book section of Wal-Mart, Barnes and Noble, and are my dealers. It's shocking to discover that writing is almost as addictive. I've been a fan of the new 5-0 since the first night and have all the episodes downloaded from iTunes for my iPod. The characters are so richly developed that it makes writing for them easy. I can almost hear the dialogue in my head. Well, enough about the voices for now. Let's see what kind of trouble I can cause today. _

**Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV. **

When Danny wakes up Saturday morning, he's a little disoriented. He notices many things. It's quiet, he can hear waves crashing on the shore, and his back feels great. Is this some kind of alternate universe, kind of like when Superman would visit Bizzaro world in the old DC comic books? There are no neighbors screaming at each other in the next apartment. There are no pipes are banging from the upstairs apartment where someone is taking an early shower. And where in hell is that bar that supports his sofa bed mattress (such as it is), the bar that means he spends most of every morning rubbing his lower back trying to ease the ache. Then the aroma of coffee invades his sense. He ran out of coffee two days ago and was trying to hold out until next payday before he replenished his supply.

Grace suddenly bursts into Danny's bedroom and jumps on the bed to wake him up. "Danno, Danno, wake up. Uncle Steve is fixing breakfast and he says if you don't come down soon, we'll eat your share."

In an instant, Danny realized where he was and why. He remembered his conversation with Steve last night and how Steve had generously offered his home to them. In fact, Danny almost felt as if he was doing Steve a favor. Steve really loved Grace, something Danny thinks he always knew but never considered. He also remembered the funny feeling he had yesterday when he saw Steve waiting for them to arrive, how happy Steve looked, how his heart lurched at the blissful expression on Steve's face with Grace wrapped in his arms.

"Monkey, come here and give Danno a hug. Did you sleep well last night? What time is it anyway?" Danny would have to continue with his thoughts later. For now, he had Grace and breakfast waiting.

"I slept great Danno. Uncle Steve has been up forever. I think he went swimming before I got up. It's almost nine o'clock. We were going to wait for you to wake up but I'm really hungry. Are you getting up?" Grace hugged her dad and then tried pulling Danny out of bed. He was never a morning person, but this was really late for him to sleep in. On the other hand, when was the last time he really had a good night's sleep.

"Yes Monkey, I'm getting up. Give me a few minutes to pull myself together. Tell Uncle Steve I'll be down in 5." Danny hustled out of bed and was in and out of the bathroom in a few more than the promised five minutes. He walked into the kitchen, still barefoot in a t-shirt and sleep pants. He needed a shave although he had managed to slick his hair back some.

"Morning sleepyhead. I had to send the troops after you this morning." Steve looked up from the skillet where he had bacon sizzling. A bowl of pancake batter was waiting on the counter, the griddle heating up next to it. "We're having bacon and pancakes this morning, Grace's request. Coffee's ready, you know where the mugs are. Juice is in the fridge. Help yourself. You're not a guest anymore."

Steve was feeling great this morning. It was a typical Hawaiian morning. The blue waters of the ocean horizon reached up to meet the blue skies. The water had been warm and silky on his skin that morning during his daily swim. The water always called to him and he had missed it during his time in prison. Now he had it all back and the promise of something more.

"Gee, thanks. We can't all be early risers. Some of us aren't used to being rousted out of bed at the crack of dawn. Is that real bacon? It's not some of that turkey stuff, is it? I mean you can't mess with some things, and bacon is one of them." Danny tried to get up to a full rant about breakfast meat but somehow just couldn't get wound up. He was feeling too good.

"No Danny, it's not turkey bacon. It's real pig meat. I don't usually indulge but I decided while I was in prison that if I ever got out, I would take time to enjoy some of my favorite things. And if you repeat this to anyone, I'll deny it. But bacon has always been a favorite, along with malasadas, cocoa puffs, Fruit Loops, and chocolate cake. I've denied myself for years, but I think it's time to enjoy things more as long as I don't have them all at the same time."

Now Danny was amused. Steve usually operated in silent mode, speaking only to ask questions, give instructions, or taunt Danny into ranting about one thing or another. Chatty Steve is a novelty. "Don't worry super-SEAL, your secrets are safe with me. I wouldn't want you to send your Army buddies after me."

"Navy, Danny. It's the Navy." This was more familiar to both men. Things had been different the last few weeks between them. Danny had been preoccupied with Rachel and Steve had been more obsessed with finding Wo Fat than before. They were finding their old rhythm to a dance they were hardly aware of. This give and take was soothing after all that had happened.

Breakfast was delicious. Grace chatted on about her plans for the day. She wanted to build a sand castle with Uncle Steve and practice her surfing with Aunt Kono. Uncle Chin would play tag in the shallow waves with her. Danny decided maybe today he would try his hand at surfing again. Kono had started his lessons in January and he was getting pretty good. Well, maybe he just didn't suck at it anymore.

"Slow down Grace. We have all weekend to enjoy." Steve really liked having Danny and Grace at the breakfast table with him. Usually it was just him having a cup of coffee and maybe a granola bar at the sink. He would have to run a couple of extra miles in the morning to make up for the food he was eating but it was worth it to have breakfast with his family.

"Yes Monkey, Uncle Steve is right. We have something to tell you." Danny needed to bring Grace up to date on the new living arrangements and thought now was a good time. "You know how everyone is always giving me a hard time about my apartment? Well, I decided maybe you all might be right. This week while you're at your Mom's, I'm moving out of my apartment and in with Uncle Steve."

Grace thought this over for a moment and asked "Does that mean I'll be staying here when I come to stay with you"?

Steve wanted Grace to know that she should consider this a second home. He needed her to feel comfortable here. "Yes Grace, I fixed Mary's old room up just for you. And I'm really excited to be spending more time with you. Is that okay?"

Grace beamed at him. "That's really okay with me. You have the coolest back yard in the world. And that means you and Danno won't be alone all the time either."

And just like that, it was all settled. Steve was quite pleased with himself. Less than 24 hours into 'Operation Danno', he had Danny and Grace living with him. He was thrilled at the prospect of having Grace here half of the time. He knew Danny needed Grace more than he needed air and he found himself having a similar need. Where did that come from, he wondered? He realized that it must come from Grace, just like his need to be with Danny had grown because of Danny's unswerving love and devotion to his family. That included him now.

The next phase of this special op would have to wait. He had the cousins and coming over later and preparations to make. He wondered how the others would feel if he was successful in taking this thing with Danny into something more. He thought Chin and Kono would be okay with it. After all, how often had people asked how long they had been married?

He was a little worried about Joe. DADT had been repealed and they had spoken of it a little during a discussion about how the services were doing under the current administration. They both had agreed that too many good men and women had been unnecessarily dismissed for pursuing what was for them a natural choice. After all, everyone wants to have someone special in their life. He tabled those doubts for now. The dishes wouldn't clean themselves and it was a beautiful day. It was time to get busy.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV. **

It was late afternoon and the gang was all here. Chin, Kono, and Grace were playing in the surf. Danny had been in the water earlier for a short surfing lesson from Kono but was content now to sit on the shore and supervise the activities with Max. Max was a new addition to their family. If you looked up quirky in the dictionary, you would surely see a picture of Dr. Max Bergman. Who would have thought he would so readily come to Steve's rescue? In fact, he seemed to relish the excitement and was settling nicely into 5-0.

Kono was unusually subdued. The suspension was weighing heavily on her slim shoulders. Being with her ohana was a balm to the soul. At first, she had declined the invitation for today. She was so afraid that she wouldn't get her badge back and prolonging her time with the team would only make the inevitable more painful later. Steve was insistent, both about coming today and that she would soon be back at the palace.

Steve was lighting the charcoal in the grill when Joe walked out of the house with a couple of Longboards. "You look like you're doing a lot better son. This is a great idea. I know I told you this before, but you have a great team."

"Thanks Joe. I wouldn't have made it through this without all of you. I can't thank you enough for helping us unravel the mess I made of everything. And what you've told me about my dad has helped too." Having Joe around had really helped Steve sort through a lot this week. He knew Steve's dad, and he had known Steve most of his adult life. Joe knew where Steve was coming from on so many levels.

"I was glad to do it. What's this I hear about a new housemate moving in." Joe had come a little later than the rest of the guests and had picked up a some of the conversation. The cousins had taken the news with ease and Max was new enough to the others that he had no opinion either way.

"Yeah, he's kind of in a bind and I sort of had something to do with that. I thought it was the least I could do." Steve really wanted to downplay the whole situation right now. He was having the best day in years. He so did not want to explore this now with Joe.

"Steve, you forget that I've known you for a lot of years. You wouldn't invite this man to share your home, with a child no less, unless something was going on. I've seen the way you are with each other." Joe could see that Steve was getting uneasy now and that was not his intent. He quickly added, "Look, you're both good people. Danny's got a child. You've got something special going. Try not to screw it up, okay?" He let out a bark of laughter, clapped Steve on the back, and walked down to sit with Danny and Max.

Steve blew out a breath of relief. Wait, was Joe actually encouraging him to pursue a relationship with Danny? Yeah, that's exactly what Joe had done. He had even insinuated that he thought Danny reciprocated his feelings. What a strange turn of events! First Danny is moving in with Grace and now the only person whose disapproval he was worried about just gave him the go ahead.

Steve finished the preparations for dinner and soon everything was sizzling on the grill. The others came up from the beach to wash up for dinner and help Steve get everything set up. Soon they were all sitting around the table on the lanai enjoying steaks and grilled veggies (except for Grace of course who preferred her hot dogs).

After dinner, Danny made a point of talking to Chin and Kono out of Grace's earshot. He explained his need for childcare and asked if there was anyone in their family who could help out. "Yes Danny, we have a cousin whose daughter also attends Grace's school. She provides aftercare for one of the other students from the school. I think she might be willing to help out. And since we're a cop family, she understands that some days you might run a little late." Chin volunteered the information to Danny and then winced when he remembered that Kono not a cop for now.

Danny was happy to have a reference now and took down the cousin's name and phone number for later. The evening wound down soon after that. Danny was busy supervising Grace's bedtime routine, even helping dry her hair so she could get to bed. Grace had such a great day but she was tired now. The change in time zones was still a factor and she was yawning hugely by the time Danny was finished.

"Danno, can you ask Uncle Steve to come up to help tuck me in again. I liked it a lot last night."

"Sure thing Monkey. I think he's probably finished up in the kitchen. Why don't you go ahead and get in bed while I go get him."

Danny walked into the kitchen just as Steve was wiping down the last counter. "Steve, Grace wants you to come up to say good night. Do you mind?" Danny was a little hesitant to ask. Steve had been busy all day, from fixing breakfast for the three of them to fixing dinner for seven. Steve had mostly recovered from the stab wound inflicted by Victor Hesse, but he had slept little in prison with all the noise and the lights. "I know you're usually like the Energizer bunny, you just keep going and going. But you've got to be a little tired by now. I'll tell Grace not tonight."

Steve stopped Danny before he could take two steps toward the stairs. "Danny, I will never be too tired to say good night to Grace." With that, he hung up the dish cloth and snapped off the lights in the kitchen. He put his arm around Danny's shoulder and together, they walked up the stairs. This felt so right to Steve. He decided that it might be a good time to institute phase two of 'Operation Danno': invade Danny's space. Danny was obviously in a very mellow mood so now was a good time to start.

Grace was almost asleep when Steve and Danny reached her bed. "Uncle Steve, can I have a good night hug. You and Danno tucked me in so well last night, would you mind helping again." She reached up for Steve and his heart melted all over again. He knelt down by the bed and hugged Grace tightly, then kissed her on the forehead. He stroked her hair and told her, "Having you here with Danno has been the best. Get some sleep and maybe we can do it all again tomorrow."

"Good night Uncle Steve." Steve rose and stepped aside while Danny repeated the routine. "Good night Monkey. Danno loves you." Grace responded with "I love you too Danno. Good night." Like last night, the men left the door partly open. Danny asked Steve, "Are you going back down for a while."

Steve was really tired but he couldn't resist the opportunity to push his luck with Danny. "I need to shower off the salt water and smoke first. I'll be down in a few minutes."

Danny thought for a minute. "That sounds like a winner. Is the water pressure good enough here that I can run the other shower?"

"That will be fine Danny. Just don't hog all the hot water." Steve couldn't resist a parting shot.

Ten minutes later, both men were walking down the stairs. Steve very carefully let Danny sit down on the couch first, then took the cushion next to him. He had retrieved a couple bottles of water from the fridge first and passed a bottle to Danny. "I thought we might need to hydrate after the long day outside. Is that okay?"

Danny took the bottle and replied, "It's fine babe. I'm not used to this nurturing side of you. Are you sure you didn't hit your head in that prison fight?" Danny couldn't resist teasing Steve again. He was being very un-Stevelike this weekend, what with the cooking and suddenly being so much more open about almost everything. He had been almost painfully sweet with Grace. "I will never be too tired to say good night to Grace" Steve had said with such intensity. Danny remembered Steve's declaration and knew what he was saying was really "I will never be too tired for Grace, I will always be ready to protect Grace with my life, I love Grace like a daughter too."

"For the last time Danno, I did not hit my head. Don't you believe that people can change? After all, I've been calling you Danno for the last couple of days and you haven't complained once." Steve had noticed that all right. Danny had never let that pass, always reminding Steve "Don't call me Danno" the same way Steve always reminded Danny "It's the Navy Danny".

Danny thought about that and tried to figure out why he was not longer irritated when Steve used Grace's favorite nickname for him. That scene with Steve hugging Grace yesterday popped back into his head. That must be it. The three of them were linked now with Grace providing the glue to keep them together. Steve had been so laid back this weekend. It was a nice change and he didn't want to make Steve second guess his behavior. "Yeah, people can change."

Danny reached over and patted Steve on the leg. Steve froze for half a second and then laid his hand on Danny's. "Thanks Danny." The men sat like that for a few seconds, then Danny withdrew his hand and settled back on the couch. Steve let Danny pull back, content that he hadn't freaked with the contact.

He could feel Danny's warmth next to him. They were both in sleep pants and t-shirts. Steve found a marathon of the original 'Dragnet' series on TVLand. They spent the next couple of hours half-heartedly laughing about the show. Danny couldn't resist pointing out that Joe Friday wore a suit and a tie. Steve would deadpan "Just the facts ma'am" and absolutely crack up. They were aware that 'Dragnet' had been very successful but it felt so good to let go for the night. Eventually, they finally ran out of steam and both headed off to bed.

"Good night Danny". "Good night John-Boy". Steve's head whipped around with that one. Danny teased, "Hey, there's a "Waltons" marathon on tomorrow night. I'm just getting an early start." Steve laughed and waved a good night to Danny. It had been another good day. He had gotten inside that bubble Danny thought of as his personal space three times today. Once, Danny had even initiated contact. Yes, it had been a good day indeed.

_It's been a long day. My beloved Tigers are trailing behind the Rangers; I fear it is the end of their season. Well, the Lions are still unbeaten, although I have no confidence that will be the case for much longer. I'm still enjoying the writing and anticipate the story will go on for quite a while. Steve and Danny have a lot of baggage and I think it would take them a while to finally get together. Steve is patient and he will let Danny proceed at a comfortable pace. More to come tomorrow._


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV. **

Steve was up early the next morning. It was later than his usual time but early by most standards. He had indulged himself yesterday with the pancakes and bacon and planned on having oatmeal and some fresh fruit this morning. He was not only looking out for himself but now hoped to provide some input on Danny's diet. He wasn't too worried about Grace; after all, she had nagged Danny into packing salad for lunch. Danny still ate a few more malasadas than Steve was comfortable with.

Steve always used his morning fitness routine to work through whatever problems he was having. The daily run and swim cleared away the cobwebs in a way nothing else would. Foremost on his mind is this thing with Danny. He knew from experience not to get cocky with early success. If he overplayed his hand now, he could scare Danny away before he even moved in. He knew Danny would be talking to Rachel tonight about the new arrangements. With a little luck, the Kelly cousin would be able to help with Grace's care while the men were at work. He might have Danny and Grace living with him in a couple of weeks.

He turned his thoughts to today's activities. He suspected that Danny was short of funds. Although his friend had always had a healthy appetite, Danny had devoured his meals Friday evening and Saturday like he'd been hungry for a while. Well, that wouldn't be an issue anymore. He'd cover meals until payday and suggest that Danny could cover the next time.

Normally, Steve would putter around the house on Sundays. He'd clean house, do laundry, and clear up any projects he'd been putting off. He had already completed his to-do list for the week because he had hoped to spend time with Danny and Grace. He wanted to make the day special for everyone. He knew he would also have to slow down a little from yesterday's activities. Danny was right; he had been running on fumes last night by the time he had cleaned up from company.

Steve went through the list of possibilities. Movies or the zoo would cost money, so they would be an awkward choice. He thought back to his childhood. He knew his parents weren't flush when he and Mary were young. They had never been rich but he thought that money problems had eased up a little as his dad had worked his way up in the HPD.

He remembered rainy Sundays when their family would while away the afternoon playing board games. He thought there might still be some remnants from the '80's stuck away somewhere. He knew from experience that his dad had thrown little away over the years. It sounded like a good plan. It was cheap, it would allow Steve to rest up, and maybe he could open up to Danny and Grace about his childhood a little.

The last part was really hard for Steve. He was still so conflicted about his dad's actions after his mom's death. He accepted that John McGarrett had made the ultimate sacrifice to protect his children. But he still thought that it would have been different if his dad had explained some of it when he and Mary were a little older. It colored his perception of his childhood. Danny was so open about everything so Steve knew a lot about Danny's life. Steve was still mostly a mystery to Danny.

Steve had dated enough over the years to realize that women always wanted to know about family experiences when they were serious about him. Danny once declared that Steve hadn't been held as a child. Steve stated that he had been held and had pictures to prove it. But Steve remembered some really good times. Maybe if he shared some of the good times with Danny, it would help Steve adjust his skewed perception of his childhood.

Steve showered off and went down to have his first cup of coffee. He was content for the moment to sit on the lanai and watch the waves roll onto the beach. He wasn't aware how much time had passed when he heard movement in the kitchen. Danny came out a few minutes later with his own cup. He said nothing, just joined Steve and soon was deep in his own contemplation. This was a different Danny. Steve decided to let the other man take his time.

"Yesterday was a really nice day babe. I needed that. Thanks." Danny finally opened the conversation.

"Me too Danno. Me too. You're welcome. Is Grace still asleep?" So many conversations with Danny consisted of snarky or sarcastic comebacks on his part. Steve enjoyed that as much as Danny enjoyed ranting, but Steve wanted to set another pattern for them, one where they could open up and not be afraid of ridicule.

"Yeah, between the traveling and playing on the beach most of yesterday, she's wiped out. I'll let her sleep a little longer. What's on tap for today? Do you have anything going on?" Danny didn't want to presume that Steve would want to hang out with them today. He really had no idea what Steve did on his days off when the team didn't come over. For all he knew, the super-SEAL had a secret life cage fighting in his spare time. Danny didn't want Steve to feel obligated to entertain them all the time.

"Well, you were right last night when you said I might be tired. I feel a little worn out now, but in a good way." While he was in the shower, Steve remembered where the stash of games was. He knew that Sorry, Clue, and even Mary's old Barbie Date Game were in the sideboard in the dining room. "I thought we could do something low-key today. When I was a kid, our family would have a game day. We would spend the afternoon eating popcorn and playing board games. How does that sound?"

Danny was relieved on so many levels now. First, he was thrilled that Steve's plans would not require any cash. Second, Steve wanted to spend his day not only with them but really involved with them. Obviously, Steve had given some thought to the day. And why was that making him so happy anyway? Except for the long last week when Steve was in prison, he was with Steve all the time.

Danny realized that things were shifting between them. Their relationship has been through many phases: a hostile professional partnership to a more reciprocating partnership and tentative friendship, and finally to a deep friendship that prompted Danny to let Rachel and Grace go back to Jersey alone so he could help clear Steve.

"Sounds good. I'll make breakfast this morning as long as I don't have to make egg-white omelets. That's just so wrong. If God had meant us to eat egg-white omelets, he wouldn't have put yolks in eggs in the first place." Danny rants about an infinite number of topics, but food always seems to be at the top of his hit parade.

"Gee Danno, I was thinking egg-white omelets with broccoli, rutabagas, and kumquats for breakfast." Steve remembered a joke his mom used to made, combining the most unappetizing combinations for the kids into a single dish. Mary always shrieked in dismay but Steve was on to his mom and would just laugh and say, "Sound good Mom. I'll have Mary's share."

Predictably, Steve's response started Danny on a rant. "Steven, do you hear yourself. Broccoli, rutabagas, and kumquats! That's disgusting, and I'm not even sure I know what a kumquat actually is. Do you really…" Danny looked over at Steve in mid-rant and saw Steve had a big grin on his face. "Okay, is this pick on Danno day and nobody told me?" Danny realized that Steve was having a little fun with him. He really didn't mind. He could see looseness in Steve demeanor that he had never seen before.

"Sorry, it was something Mom used to do. It just popped out. That seems to be happening a lot lately. I guess I'm feeling a little fractured and things I've tried not to think about are just coming out." Steve didn't want to upset Danny. He had been enjoying the quiet conversation but was really having trouble maintaining the tempo. Steve sighed, not really sure what to say next.

"It's okay babe. You're allowed to be human like the rest of us mere mortals." As he softly spoke, Danny once again reached over and patted Steve's leg.

Steve heart skipped a beat. He waited for just a moment, then curled his hand around Danny's just as he had last night. This time, Danny didn't pull back. Maybe it was just that they were more comfortably positioned than last night. For whatever reason, the two men sat there linked until finally Grace came out.

_I really want to thank all of you who have subscribed to my story and sent reviews. This is my first creative writing since college. The last 30 years have been filled with business memos, PowerPoint presentations, and training manuals. Most of my creativity has been in databases and Excel spreadsheets. (I know most of you are wondering how creative you can be in Excel but really, you had to be there.) The reviews have been amazingly positive and I am grateful. Still lots more fun to come!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.**

"Good morning Monkey. Did you sleep well?" Danny moved his hand from Steve's leg and stretched out his arms for a morning hug. Grace was a little bleary-eyed and had a bad case of bed head. She reached out for Danny's neck and curled up in his lap, not being content with just a hug.

"Morning Danno." She managed to return Danny's greeting before settling against his chest, content to listen to Danny's heartbeat.

"Still tired Grace?" Steve leaned toward Grace and spoke soothingly as he stroked her back.

"Hmm" was all Grace could manage. With her eyes half-closed, she reached over to grab Steve's neck. She pulled him in for a hug so that Steve's and Danny's heads were touching now.

Steve closed his eyes and relished the moment, storing it away in his mental archives to bring up when things got rough again. This had been missing from his life, this intimate linking with others. He had not experienced it with anyone, not even Catherine. He was fond of Catherine, but they were just old friends with benefits. They hadn't expected anything more of each other than whatever was in the moment.

Danny also closed his eyes and kept his head rested again Steve's. He felt a quiet contentment, a completeness he couldn't remember. He knew that he and Rachel had been this way in the beginning. But it had been missing during their short-lived reconciliation.

"Looks like you wore our little girl out yesterday", Danny finally said.

Steve's heart lurched at the comment. Was Danny reading his mind, or was he being too obvious?

Steve started to get up. "I'll fix breakfast Danny, oatmeal and fruit okay? You stay here and keep the sleepyhead company."

Danny stopped Steve and instead, shifted Grace so she was in Steve's lap now. "No, I said I would fix breakfast. The offer is still good now that you've decided to make a reasonable request. You take Grace." Steve had seemed a little melancholy this morning and Danny knew from experience that a Grace hug was just the cure.

So Steve found himself with a warm, snuggling Grace on his lap. Danny even brought a fresh cup of coffee for Steve, fixed just the way Steve liked. This is just about perfect, Steve thought. No, it is exactly perfect, he corrected himself.

Danny quickly put breakfast together. He found fresh pineapple (which was okay as long as it was not on pizza), grapes, apples, and bananas. He sliced up the fruit and cooked the oatmeal. Danny stepped out the back door and told Steve, "Five minute warning. You want to wake the Monkey up?"

Grace was marginally more awake the second time around. As they ate, Danny asked "Do you mind if I run back to my apartment for a few? I need to do some laundry, and I thought I could bring some stuff back with me. I didn't really have enough room to unpack much there. And my back is feeling so great that I can't face even one more night on the fold-out."

Steve smiled and quickly offered "Why don't I come back with you. If we work together, we can bring all of your personal stuff back this morning. Then you'll only need to pack up household goods and furniture. We can finish up after work during the week if we spend an hour or two a day. We can store most of it in the garage until you need it." Steve hoped Danny would never need it but knew now was too soon to say anything.

With the day planned out, everyone finished breakfast and headed to Danny's. It only took an hour to gather most of Danny's clothes and pile some boxes in Steve's truck. Danny sorted out his dirty clothes and started the first load in the washer. Steve located the board games and mentally thanked his father for keeping their childhood mementos.

The day quickly passed. They played games all afternoon, pausing only for lunch or to let Danny move his laundry around. There was a lot of laughing and teasing, especially when Steve got to go to the prom with Poindexter. Of course, Danny was paired with 'Bob'. Steve teased Danny, "Hey Danny, your date grew up to work at every help line I've ever called." Grace won the prize date with Ken, but Steve and Danny teased that he was a 'girly-man'. For both men, it was a blissful way to spend the time.

Finally, they put the games away and fixed dinner. It was a simply meal, a chicken stir-fry and salad. Steve and Danny chopped and sliced away while Grace was perched on the counter. Steve took care to make extra salad so that he and Danny could take a healthy lunch tomorrow.

It was time to take Grace back to Rachel's. Normally, Danny would already be in a funk. Instead, he was looking forward to finishing his move from the apartment and talking to Chin's cousin. Grace would be back soon, maybe for a longer visit next time. And he wouldn't be stuck in his lonely apartment anymore. Even if Steve can be a little (maybe a lot) insane sometimes, it would still be better than sitting alone every night.

Steve crouched down to give Grace a final hug. "Aloha Grace. Have a good week. Thanks for playing with me this weekend. I'll see you soon." Grace gave Steve a long hug, like she knew it would have to last for a while. "I had a good time too. Love you Uncle Steve." "I love you too Grace", Steve managed to choke out. His eyes were bright when he released Grace and stood up. Steve looked a little forlorn and Danny knew how he felt. This had been his life since the divorce.

Danny wanted to comfort his friend before he left. This time, he was the one who stepped into Steve's personal space. He slung his arm around Steve and leaned close, "Hey babe, it's okay. She'll be back. And I shall return in about an hour, maybe less. I need to talk to Rachel and tell her what's going on. When I get back, maybe you and I can discuss the arrangements here."

Steve appreciated Danny's words and mentally put another check by 'times Danny initiates physical contact'. He had a sudden thought. "Hey are you going to be okay with seeing Rachel. I mean, I know you must have seen her at the airport. But this will be back at Stan's and for a longer time."

Danny appreciated Steve's concern and quickly assured him. "I told you I was moving on. I admit I was dreading the moment earlier this week. I feel stronger now. It's been a great couple of days, and I'm so relieved to have my 'little' housing problem solved. I was feeling like such a loser, like I couldn't do anything right. I don't feel that way anymore. I had my doubts about whether this would work", Danny said gesturing between the two of them. "I think if we can continue on like this, it will be okay. Actually, I think it will be a lot more than okay. I'll see you in a little while." Danny gave Steve one more quick man-hug and took Grace home.

Grace was quiet on the way home which gave Danny time to put on his game face. The gate to the big house opened before he could even get out of the car. He drove up, wondering if Stan was around and how their first meeting would go. Rachel was waiting at the front door. Suddenly Grace came to life. She ran to her mom for a hug, then quickly chattered on about her weekend with Danno and Uncle Steve.

Danny stopped her before she could disclose his new living arrangements. He felt he should be the one to tell Rachel. "Monkey, why don't you run upstairs and put your stuff away. I need to talk to your mom for a little bit. I'll call you down before I leave for a goodbye hug, okay?"

"Okay Danno". Grace started to pick up her suitcase but Stan picked it up first. "I'll take this up for you in a minute Grace. Go on up." Danny hadn't even seen him come in. Once Grace was safely out of earshot, Stan turned to Danny.

Rachel had already escaped into the living room, the coward. Danny steeled himself for whatever was coming next. He knew that he had it coming. He was 'the other man' in their affair. Stan glared at him for a moment. Great, Danny thought, is that supposed to scare me? So not scary after being at the receiving end of some of Steve's worst glares.

Finally Stan spoke, "Williams, the only reason you're still standing here is that all this was partly my fault for being away all the time. That, and the time you didn't tell Rachel the truth about the housing commissioner. But if I ever catch you with my wife again, I will kill you."

Danny had several thoughts and sorted through them carefully. "Gee Stan, bad thing to say to a cop." Nope. "You do realize that I'm armed and trained in the martial arts." Nope. "Don't worry Stan, it's over between Rachel and me. I'm sorry and it won't happen again." Yep, he went with that one. Stan merely nodded and strode away. Danny heaved a sigh of relief that the encounter was over. It would be a while but eventually they would establish a polite civility.

Rachel was looking out the front window when Danny went into the living room. He imagined that things had been quite awkward between her and Stan. He realized that's why Rachel had been so gracious with the visitation this weekend. Rachel and Stan could confront the infidelity and make peace with what had happened without traumatizing Grace with all of it. He thought she had been crying before she came in. His first impulse was to go to her and try to offer comfort. He knew that would be a bad move. Instead, he kept his distance and stuck his hands in his pockets. He was dressed casually in khaki shorts, a Yankees t-shirt, and sneakers. He looked tanned and strangely happy.

Rachel wondered about the difference in Danny's appearance from the airport last Friday. Then, he had looked frantic and haggard. "Danny, did you want to talk about joint custody. Don't tell me you've found a new place already. Grace didn't say anything about looking at apartments or houses this weekend. It sounds like she had a delightful weekend with you and Commander McGarrett this weekend. How is he doing anyway? I heard that he had been stabbed in prison before he escaped."

"Steve's doing much better now, thank you. He's still healing but he seems to be in a better place than he has been since I've known him. That's part of what I wanted you to talk about. Steve has graciously invited me to move in. I'll pay rent and help out while I'm there."

"That sounds lovely Danny. But what will you do when you have Grace? The Commander can't want to have a little girl around half the time."

Danny half-laughed and said, "You wouldn't say that if you had seen the three of us huddled around the table all day playing games. super-SEAL even played this Barbie-goes-to-the-prom game. He got the nerd!" Danny snorted at the memory. "He says Grace is welcome and after watching the two of them, I believe him." He ran through the montage in his head: Steve hugging Grace; Steve tucking Grace in bed; Steve holding Grace on the lanai that morning. Yes, he deserved to be in Grace's life as much as Step-Stan, maybe more.

Rachel was surprised at Danny's reply. She had seen the two of them together during the surveillance next door. She couldn't belief the easy give and take between the partners. She had thought that Danny was having a tough time in his interactions with the department. He had found a friend in Meka but that had ended. Steve actually seemed to enjoy being with Danny. He easily deflected Danny's rants. More importantly, he absolutely respected Danny's ability to do his job. She had been a little jealous at the time. Her thought at the time had been, "Stop that he's mine". Now, she felt that same pang of jealousy. She knew she had lost any right to feel that way and tamped down the emotions.

She had been so angry during and after the divorce. She had lashed out at Danny and then inflected a sentence worse than death: she had taken Grace away. She had been even more angry when he followed Grace (and her) to Hawaii. Rachel knew that love and hate can be opposite sides of the same coin. It was time to put the hate and love away, for once and for all.

"Very well Danny. If you think it will work, then I trust your judgment. You've found suitable housing. How about childcare?"

Danny almost started to rant "Now you trust my judgment!" but pulled back. He realized that Rachel was showing remarkable restraint and decided to put on his 'big**-**boy' pants and behave himself.

"Chin Ho has a cousin whose daughter attends Grace's school. She takes care of at least one other child after school. Chin thought she would be willing to watch for me. Chin said she would understand that my schedule might be a little irregular at times. I plan on talking to her tomorrow. Can I call you when I know something?"

"Yes Danny. I'll pick up when you call. Do you think we could stop the phone games and be grown-ups. I'll make the effort if you will."

Danny looked a little sheepish. "I promise to stop ducking your calls. If I don't pick up, it will be because I really can't. I've got to get back. We brought all my personal stuff back to Steve's this morning and I should probably try to stow it before I crash for the night. When do you want to tell Grace?"

"I think now is a good time." Rachel walked to the entrance hall and called up to Grace.

Grace was waiting for the call. She had been listening at the door, wondering if Mommy and Danno were going to yell at each other like before. She hadn't heard any yelling. After a while, she heard Rachel calling her down. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, Rachel and Danny were waiting for her.

"Grace, your dad and I wanted to talk to you. Since your dad has found a nicer place to live, we think it would be a good idea for us to share custody. Do you know what that means?"

"Yes, no, I'm not sure." Grace was a little confused but her Mom and Dad hadn't been very good at sharing since the divorce. This had to be a good thing, right?

"It means that you will be living here half of the time and with your Dad the other half of the time at your Uncle Steve's. How does that sound sweetheart?"

"I'd like that Mommy. Danno is really sad when we're not together. Will you be okay when I'm with Danno?" It was just like Grace to be worried about both parents. She has always been such a loving child, the best of both of them.

"I'll be fine Grace. I'll have Stan and the new baby in a little while." Rachel knew that she would miss Grace but she had been selfish for too long.

"Okay. When do we start?" Leave it to Grace to cut to the heart of the matter.

"If your dad can make the arrangements, we can start next weekend. Otherwise the weekend after that." Rachel looked at Danny to see if that was okay with him. Danny nodded his approval.

"I'd like that Mommy. I'll have a family here with you and Step-Stan, and I'll have another family with Danno and Uncle Steve." What's that saying, out of the mouths of babes?

Danny was dumbstruck. Steve always talked about how they were family. But this is something more…intimate? They would be sharing a house now. And he and Steve had gotten touchy-feely this weekend. Strangely enough, Danny hadn't minded. In fact, he had initiated some of the touching. Danny knew he should be freaked but couldn't quite muster it.

Again, this is something he'll need to consider later. It was time to bid Grace goodbye. He moved over to Grace and crouched down, mimicking Steve's earlier moves. "I'm going now. I'll see you real soon. And I'll call you every night. Danno loves you." Grace hugged Danny tightly and replied, "Love you too Danno."

Danny drove home deep in thought. Does Steve know what he has done? Grace had pronounced them a family unit. It's one thing to invite a child into your home on a part-time basis. It's another to find yourself a co-parent. And what would that say about the relationship between Steve and him? He promised Steve he would be back soon. There was still a conversation about their living arrangement hanging between them.

He would have to broach the topic of Grace's feelings with Steve to be fair. Danny didn't think they could be a 'family' and then move out in a couple of months. He'd end up sharing visitation with 'Step-Steve' then. He pulled up in the McGarrett driveway and got out of the car. Well, there's no time like the present. Danny squared his shoulders and opened the front door. "Honey, I'm home!"

_This has been a long chapter, the second for the day. I'm consoling myself to the end of the season for the Tigers. I'll be back at work tomorrow so I'll be stuck with shorter daily chapters when I can. Have a Happy Monday everyone._


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.**

Danny walks through the first floor of the McGarrett home, expecting to find Steve on the lanai with a beer. Instead, Steve is in the kitchen packing lunches for the next day. He started with the leftover salad from dinner and was adding other veggies, fruits, and nuts. There was some diced chicken to be added at lunchtime. There was also something wonderful baking in the oven.

For the umpteenth time in three days, Danny wondered who this person was and what had happened to the real Steven McGarrett. Danny was the one who brown-bagged, not Steve. "Hey Steven. What's all this?"

"Well Danny, I think it's called packing a lunch for tomorrow." Steve had done a lot of second-guessing while Danny was gone. Things had gone unbelievably well the whole weekend. Steve was afraid that Grace been a buffer while she was here. He wondered if it would go downhill now. "If I'm going to splurge on the weekends, I'll need to be more careful about my diet during the week. I figured I might as well pack one for you. That okay?"

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea for both of us. What can I do? And what are you baking? Did you have a Suzie Homemaker Easy-Bake Oven as a kid or something?" Danny was happy to pack a lunch. Lord knows he wouldn't have the cash to buy lunch out every day for a couple of weeks. And it was much cheaper to bring something from home. It was just out of character for Steve to pack a lunch.

"Those are granola bars in the oven. It's an easy recipe and I can add whatever I want. There's some fruit in the bowl over there we can carry with us in the car. Pick out whatever suits you and put them in that bag." Steve had finished the salad and transferred the contents into two containers. The buzzer went off so he pulled the pan of granola from the oven. "These need to cool and then go into the freezer. It makes them easier to cut."

The men quickly finished the lunch preparations. Danny knew the next item on tonight's agenda would be a very serious conversation. "So, I guess it's time we talked." Danny was tense now, wondering how Steve would feel about the recent turn of events. What started out as a short-term living arrangement was turning into a potentially long-term something else he couldn't put a name to.

Steve turned to Danny and could see that his friend was anxious now. "Hey babe, there's nothing to be upset about. We had a great weekend, didn't we? And I know being short of cash is embarrassing. But we're friends here. You'll be getting a full paycheck in a couple of weeks. I can loan you money if you need some to tide you over. Or I'll cover groceries for now and you cover them next payday." Steve ran his hand up and down Danny's back as he spoke.

It had been so great to see Danny unwind the last few days. He seemed more like his old self, not the shuttered Danny who refused to talk about losing Rachel again. Steve didn't ever want to see that Danny again.

Danny moved away to look out at the ocean. It was calming to watch how the waves rolled on the shore, then withdrew only to roll a little further ashore the next time. The advance-retreat pattern repeated several times. It was like two steps forward, one step back. Or was it the other way?

Finally Danny spoke. "It's not the money issue that's got me worried at the moment. I mean, thanks and all, I'll let you know if I need a loan. Your idea on groceries sounds great. I'd like to pay half the utilities and help with the chores. Is that okay? You need any more than that?"

Steve was afraid that Danny had changed his mind or maybe that Rachel didn't want Grace around him with everything that had happened. He was relieved when Danny agreed with the financial basics. "No, that will be more than enough. You can even wash my truck once a week if it will make you feel any better."

Danny laughed, "No I don't feel the need to wash your truck. Knowing you, we'd both end up soaking wet which would only give you another excuse to take your shirt off. Not that you seem to need an excuse." Well, maybe it was a good idea after all. Danny always teased Steve about his penchant for stripping off his shirt. Honestly, Danny had a hard time not staring at Steve when that happened.

"There's another complication I hadn't anticipated." Danny turned to look at Steve so he could gauge his reaction. Steve might think he's an inscrutable Navy SEAL but Danny has always been able to read Steve's emotions.

"Rachel and I talked to Grace about shared custody this evening. She's thrilled with the new arrangements. She made a comment about having two families now: Rachel and Step-Stan, and Danno and Uncle Steve." Danny paused now to wait for Steve's reaction.

Steve had been standing there with a worried look, the crease between his brows making its appearance. With Danny's explanation, the crease disappeared. Steve now sported the biggest, goofiest grin Danny had ever seen. "That's what she thinks? That's just…" Steve couldn't even put words to what he was feeling.

Danny was floored at Steve's reaction. He expected Steve to be flattered and then come up with a plan to let Grace down gently. It's obvious that Steve is overwhelmed and apparently thrilled with the idea. Danny thought about it for a minute, then realized that he hadn't given Steve much credit. After all, Steve had been very attentive and loving to Grace all weekend. Why wouldn't he want to be an important person to Grace?

Danny crossed to Steve and stood in front of him to make sure he had his full intention. "Think about it for a minute. The way she put it, you'll be like Step-Steve now, although she will probably still call you Uncle Steve." Danny didn't think he was getting through to Steve. He still had a look of wonder on his face, like a kid who just saw Santa put a new puppy under his tree.

Danny ran his hands over his face and tried again. "Steven, she expects us to stay here."

"Well Danno, I thought that was the plan." Steve couldn't believe his ears. Grace thought of him as another parent. He never expected to have this kind of gift.

"Steven, she expects us to stay like forever." Danny's voice was getting higher now. The last part made him sound like a girl.

"Danny, I don't mind. This house has so many shadows; they've all been gone since you and Grace came over on Friday. I'd love to have you both here, and not just for a couple of months. This is great!"

"What about your friend Catherine? What happens if she gets shore leave when Grace is here? I don't think it would be a great idea to expose Grace to that at her age."

Steve nodded in agreement. "You're right Danny, that wouldn't be appropriate. I don't think I'll be seeing Catherine again, except as friends. I can assure you that I won't bring anyone here while Grace is in the house."

"I believe you Steve. But won't that cramp your lifestyle? I don't imagine that you have a steady stream of women coming into Casa McGarrett every night, but a man has needs." Danny knew Steve was trying to reassure him but he didn't want Steve to make a commitment now and have buyer's remorse later.

Steve laid his hand on Danny's shoulder. The contact is second-nature now, 'Operation Danno' going by the wayside. Steve knew that this could no longer be a contrived plan on his part. Danny and Grace mean everything to him. And Grace is just a child. It was happening now, a family was in his reach. If it was never more than this, it would be enough. "Danny, what I need the most is you and Grace here with me. What about you? I know you relish your time with Grace. This will mean sharing her with me."

It was just like Steve to worry about him now. "Steve, I'm not worried about sharing Grace with you. She loves you and wants to spend time with you. One thing I've learned is that being a single parent, even a part-time single parent, is scary. And kids can never have enough people who love them."

"Then I guess we're a family now. Wait, are you going to be the mom because in our family, the dad is always the tall one." Steve knew it was time to downshift the emotions. He knew the tide patterns too, advance, retreat. It was time to retreat.

"No I am not the mom. And if you start with me, you won't get to be one of the dads. You'll be goofy Uncle Steve who plays with his GI Joe's by himself on the weekends. And you've got all those guys, which one is Joe anyway?" Danny was on a two-handed rant now.

Steve was chuckling now. He stilled Danny's hands and explained, "They're all Joe, Danny. Come on, Other Dad, let's see if we can find a place to put your things. You don't need to keep the pictures in just your rooms. I can make room in the living room for you. Does this mean we don't need to worry about moving the rest of your stuff out of your apartment?"

There would be another silver lining in this; they wouldn't have to drag all Danny's belongings over. Danny considered this for half a second. "Yeah, I guess so. There are a few other things I'd like to get, and we could use the towels and other linens. The TV could go upstairs. But I want to send the foldout to couch hell somewhere, maybe in a frat house. After all it's done to me, I want something really hideous done to it."

The men went upstairs to settle Danny in. Both men offered other options for the hated couch. Steve had some scary ones, including pushing it out of a plane or planting explosive charges in it. Danny's ideas dealt more with food and body functions. It was the perfect way to end the weekend.

Tomorrow would be their first day back with 5-0. It was a good thing that Steve and Danny were in a good mood tonight. 5-0 would have a major shift in the morning.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Monday morning started bright and early for Steve. Steve had his usual run and swim. Danny was already up and dressed for work when Steve walked into the kitchen. "Morning babe. Coffee's ready if you want to grab a cup to take up. Be sure to wash behind both ears. The new governor's secretary called this morning; you have a 9 o'clock meeting in his office. She called me in case you didn't pick up your phone mail. You ducking your phone calls again?" Danny was inordinately cheerful this morning. Sleeping in a real bed can do that to a guy.

Steve fixed his coffee and headed up. Wow, this is really nice, he thought. A smiling Danny and a hot cup of coffee is a great way to start the day. He noticed that Danny was tieless again. Maybe that was another one of his changes. Well, Danny was going to get shock. Steve planned to wear a suit for the meeting this morning, sans tie of course.

Fifteen minutes later, both men were seated at the table. It was oatmeal with some fruit and nuts. Danny figured he should adopt some of Steve's healthier eating habits. The doctor mentioned his blood pressure was on the high side and so was his cholesterol during his last exam. He blamed the blood pressure on McGarrett, but maybe some of it had to do with his salt intake. He didn't salt his food heavily but the sodium in prepared foods can add up quickly.

Danny couldn't let the suit go without a comment. "So Steve, got a job interview today?"

"No Danny. I thought I'd dress up for my meeting this morning. Governor Denning is not a big fan, so I figured it won't hurt to suck up a little. I've learned a few things in my years in the Navy. Number one: when reporting to a new commanding officer, show you respect his authority. Thanks for fixing breakfast, by the way. It's good."

"You're welcome Steve. I figured today will be a new start for 5-0, and it would be a good idea to start with a good breakfast. Lunches are ready to go. I wish I had known about your suit. I'd have worn cargo pants, t-shirt, and combat boots." Danny couldn't resist teasing Steve; he seemed a little tense about the meeting.

They finished up breakfast and quickly cleaned up the kitchen. Then they grabbed lunches and headed out. They chose to go in separate vehicles in case Danny was able to follow-up on Chin's recommendation today. They made it to HQ on time and Steve, Danny and Chin spent some time looking over police reports to see if anything hot had happened over the weekend. Steve hoped that he would find some clue about his meeting, some big case that would require 5-0's expertise.

Finally he headed up to the governor's office. Over an hour later, he came steaming back out to his truck, an attractive woman in an orange blouse, black skirt and killer heels following. Only Steve didn't see any of this. Instead, she was every teenage babysitter he had resented, one he was way too old to need. Her name was Lori Weston from Homeland Security. Now she was 5-0. Damn, he might not have a say in this, but she will not be Kono's replacement.

The case was a kidnapping, a crime that always hits too close to Steve. They get the girl back but not before they end up on horseback with Steve shooting after the bad guy at a full gallop. Danny had a glimpse of Steve as he tried to 'head them off at the pass'. He knew that kidnapping is a parents' worse nightmare, but Danny felt like he had slipped into a western. He half expected Steve to bring the rescued damsel back and ride away after a "maybe this silver bullet will tell you who I am".

Instead, they radioed for an air evac since their victim needed her heart meds. There was a happy ending. The girl was okay and was reunited with her parents and birth mother. Well, maybe there was a not so happy ending.

They were still stuck with Lori Weston. Danny didn't mind having her around too much. They were a man down with Kono still out. He thought Steve might give her a second look. He was relieved that Steve barely noticed her except to bark out orders. He wasn't sure why it was a relief. There were so many changes going on that Danny was still sorting them out: good, not so good, and who cares.

Danny finally got the chance to meet Chin's cousin on Wednesday. Emelina Hookala turned out to be a petite woman with exquisite features. Danny was a little surprised considering that Chin and Kona were several inches taller. On the other hand, look at the difference between Danny and Mattie.

Chin's and Emelina's mothers were sisters. Her daughter Aleka was a miniature version of her mother. Danny had explained to Emelina what he was looking for. Emelina was one of the few in Chin's family who hadn't ostracized him before he was exonerated. She was grateful to the 5-0 team for supporting Chin before he was cleared.

Emelina asked her daughter if she knew Grace Williams and would like to have her spend time at the house while her father worked with Uncle Chin. Aleka and Grace were not in the same class because Grace is a year older. But the girls had met on the playground and in the lunchroom. Aleka was sometimes the target of bullies, which shouldn't have happened in a pricey private school. Aleka is quite bright and one of the scholarship students accepted annually. That fact and her size made her a prime target.

Grace Williams may not be a giant of a girl, but her father set an example that proved sometimes a big heart is more important than a big body. She started hanging around with Aleka outside of class. When the bullies came around, she stood toe-to-toe with the ringleader and glared her down. After that, the girls were constant companions. Grace never mentioned what she did but talked about her friend 'Ali' frequently.

Aleka was thrilled to think that Grace would be staying with them while her Danno worked. She reminded her mother about her friend who had helped her. "Mommy, that girl is Grace. She's the reason I like going to school again. I would love to play with her here." Between what Emelina knew about Danny and Grace, she was ready to accept them without the interview.

Danny was a little nervous about the whole thing. Rachel always took care of this kind of thing. Steve had offered to come with him but Danny was afraid the big SEAL would scare off any chance this could work. His nerves disappeared when Emelina greeted him at the door. She was one of few adults he actually looked down to greet. She was a most gracious hostess, offering Danny lemonade and cookies. Danny was enchanted with little Aleka.

"Did you know that your Grace ran off the bullies who were terrorizing my Aleka?" Danny hadn't heard the story because Grace never told of her bravery. "The girls are companions at recess and lunchtime. Aleka is excited to have Grace here. Chin has told me about your schedule. I know that you work Monday through Friday unless you're on a big case. I know that sometimes you might work into the night. Aleka has an extra twin bed in her room. Grace could bed down here when necessary. What do you want to know?"

Danny didn't know what to say next. It looked like this would take satisfy his requirements in a big way. He had run a background check. If he hadn't he knew that Steve would. There were no surprises. The home was nothing fancy but very charming. Everything was tidy but you could tell there was a child in the house. It was exactly what he wanted for Grace.

Emelina and Danny discussed terms and agreed upon a price that was fair, varying on how long Grace stayed there. Danny would need to borrow the first week's fee from Steve but it would be worth it if it meant that Grace could come back this weekend for her first full week.

As he was driving back to HQ, Danny called Rachel to let her know the child care arrangements were in place. They agreed that Danny would pick Grace up on Friday after work and drop her back home the following Friday morning. There was no need to put Grace in day care when she would be coming back to Rachel later in the day.

Rachel knew she would miss Grace terribly during that week. She would have to survive on daily phone calls. She had heard about Ali and was glad Grace would have a companion during the summer. Stan had paid for tennis lessons and other extras. There wouldn't be as much money coming in because Stan had vowed to be home more often. This would work out well for everyone. She and Stan could use the 'alone' time too.

Steve and Danny were busy at 5-0 for the rest of the week with paperwork and other more mundane chores. They cleared out Danny's apartment on Tuesday and arranged to have Goodwill pick up the remaining items on Wednesday. Danny cleaned the place up on Thursday and was refunded his security deposit. He hadn't counted on that. Now he wouldn't need to borrow money and would have a little extra in his pocket for the next week.

Steve stopped by the market on the way home to stock up for the next week. It was strange shopping with a little girl in mind but Steve enjoyed the challenge. After he put the groceries away, he started the weekly laundry and cleaning. He and Danny agreed that they wanted to get everything squared away before Grace came. Danny had already started the sheets. They had done their personal laundry the night before.

Steve was working on the first floor when Danny came in. They quickly finished up and moved on to their bedrooms and bathrooms. They ended the evening with a couple of beers out on the lanai.

Steve spoke first. "You know Danny, if anyone had told me a few days ago that we'd be doing this, I would have had them in for a psych eval. But it's been great. I knew I'd enjoyed having Grace here. I wasn't too sure how it would be with just the two of us." Steve couldn't resist teasing a little.

Danny had to agree with Steve. A week ago he was a broken man. Now he was building a family here with Steve. He would never be a full-time father to Grace, but he was now an equal parent with Rachel. Rachel's lawyer had already sent the new agreement over and Danny had signed it quickly before Rachel could change her mind.

"You got that right babe. Who'd have thought we could share a place! We have to be a re-make of the 'Odd Couple'."

"Wait Danno, am I Oscar or Felix? 'Cause I have to say that I don't see either one," Steve protested.

"Okay, maybe not the 'Odd Couple'. I'll come up with something else. I'm just too tired right now. We can pick Grace up tomorrow after work. Here's to our first week with our girl." Danny tapped his bottle against Steve's.

There it was again, our girl. Steve could only add "here's to Grace". The men locked up for the night and made their way upstairs. "Good night Danno." "Good night Steve."


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Friday passed slowly for Danny and Steve because they were so excited to pick up Grace after work. The team was still dealing with Lori Weston. Usually a newcomer to an established team will sort of hang back and observe group dynamics before jumping in. This is not Lori's style. She spent her downtime reviewing old 5-0 case from the last year. She frequently asked questions, trying to read between the lines.

Little did she know that no one would ever fill in those lines. As it was, Danny, Chin, and Kono had spent long hours at work (and a few hilarious, tipsy hours at McGarrett's one weekend) coming up with euphemisms for dangling a suspect off a building, throwing a suspect in a shark tank, and speeding around town with a suspect loosely tied to the hood of the Camaro. Steve kept deflecting her to Danny and Chin, both of whom disappeared into the men's room often enough that Lori thought they must have some sort of intestinal trouble.

When Chin brought some spicy Thai food back for lunch one day, she looked hard at him and asked "Are you sure that's a good idea? It's bound to cause a flare up for your …" and then she paused, not sure what his issues were. Chin just looked blandly at her and made a "What?" gesture with his hands.

For once, she thought before engaging her mouth. She wanted to say something like, "Well every time I ask you a question, you end up in the bathroom before I get an answer." Then she realized she had her answer. No one was going to tell her what had happened on their old cases. They obviously didn't trust her and she could see their point. She wouldn't trust her either. She ended up muttering "Never mind" and walked away.

She realized that at some point, the new governor would call her in for a report on 5-0 activities. She would have to weigh her options carefully. She thought she would enjoy the challenge of 5 -0 if the team would let her join in the 'reindeer games'. She might as well have a big red nose; she had no chance of just blending in. She was relieved when her first week at 5-0 ended.

Chin was also anxious for start of the weekend. He had been talking to his former fiancé, Malia, since the case involving a beheaded cancer patient. The discussions had become more frequent and serious in the past few weeks. Chin had felt that he had little to offer Malia as a disgraced cop. He had been reinstated recently and promoted to lieutenant.

Malia was still hurt that Chin didn't trust her to stand by him, but she knew that she would have to put those feelings aside if she wanted a future with Chin. And she was pretty sure she did. Malia had agreed to go to dinner with Chin tonight, their first full-blown date in years. He had sent flowers that morning with a card declaring his intentions. He was out like a shot promptly at 5 p.m., very un-Chinlike.

Steve and Danny locked up and headed out a few minutes after Chin. It took almost 30 minutes to reach the Edwards' home. Like last week, the gate opened just as the Camaro pulled in the driveway. This time Grace had a large suitcase and a duffel bag for her favorite books, DVD's, and other activities. Rachel had a large envelope for Danny which contained Grace's doctor and dentist information and other particulars Danny would need to know for the longer stay.

Rachel had always been super-organized with lists and charts when Grace was smaller. Danny could appreciate that now that he was the recipient of the information. He patiently listened as Rachel went on at length about what to do in case of an emergency. He finally put up his hand in a "Stop" motion and gently told her, "Rachel, I know this is hard for you. If we need anything, we'll call. You need to relax; being this tense isn't good for the baby. Take care of yourself and enjoy your time with Stan. Feel free to call Grace to say good morning or good night or whatever. Okay?"

Rachel finally drew in a calming breath and nodded. "You're right Danny. Thanks. I know that you and the commander will take good care of Grace." She stooped to give Grace a tight hug and then walked to the Camaro. Steve had been waiting to open the back door for Grace. Rachel made it a point to walk over to Steve. "Commander McGarrett, I wanted to thank you for opening your home to Danny and Grace. I've been worried about Danny. I'm not so worried anymore. Take care of them."

"Rachel, I think we're at the point where you can call me Steve. You're quite welcome. It's my pleasure to have them with me." Steve knew that Rachel was ill at ease and respected her facing him anyway. He gave her one of his most charming smiles, trying to reassure her.

All it did was make her go a little weak at the knees. It must be the hormones, she thought. She knew that he was deliberately trying to charm her, and yet knowing this, she was charmed anyway. Then she broached a more delicate subject. "I know that you and Danny have grown quite close over the last few months. I suspect that you mean more to each other than either of you realize, or at least in Danny's case. I'm not surprised that he chose to stay here to clear you over coming to New Jersey with us. I think he's picked up the 'leave no man behind' rule from you."

Steve interrupted Rachel now. "Rachel, I never meant for Danny to choose between us. I'm really sorry."

It was Rachel's turn to stop Steve now. "Steve, it is all right. I suspect it was never meant to be with us. What I was trying to say is that whatever develops between you and Danny, well, I just want him to be happy. If this past week is any indication, I think that means being with you. Best of luck to you both."

All Steve could do was nod his agreement, then she was gone. Grace and Danny put her bags in the trunk. Grace felt the tension among the adults. Now that her mother had gone into the house, she felt everyone relax.

"Danno, I missed you." Grace pulled Danny down for a hug. He got down on his bad knee but felt no pain. "I missed you too Monkey. We are going to have such a great week."

When Danny released her, Grace ran to Steve. She demanded a hug which he obligingly gave. "Hey Grace. Ready to go home?" Steve opened the door for Grace and moved to the driver's side while Danny made sure Grace was buckled in properly. Steve looked over the roof of the car and smirked "Let's go home partner."

Remembering the sight of Steve galloping on the horse, Danny gave the centuries-old command: Wagons, ho!

_I'm going to treat the weekly episodes as my timeline for weekly cases, although I realize that this does in no way imitate real life. We've had very little back story this season so I'm going to try to fill that gap. I don't want to quote dialogue from the show unless it illustrates a point I want to make. I'm trying to acknowledge all the characters but will sometimes drop one. Kono is not mentioned much so far because we don't know what is going on with her yet in week one. Eventually, I hope to catch up to real time._


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Steve, Danny and Grace piled in the front door of the McGarrett family home. Grace had been quiet on the drive over but had fidgeted endlessly. Danny and Steve could feel the girl moving around in the back seat. Finally, Danny turned around and asked, "Hey Monkey, got ants in your pants?" Grace settled down a little after that.

Now that she was finally home, she didn't know where to go first. She wanted to see her room, she wanted to see the beach, she wanted to see everything because this was now her home too. She was headed to the stairs when she stopped. She went over to one of the end tables and picked up a picture frame.

"This is us Danno. It's from your old apartment." Grace ran her fingers over Danny's image.

"Yes it is. Uncle Steve and I moved all my things over here this week. Remember, I told you I was moving out." Danny was a little concerned; he knew they had discussed this last weekend.

"I know Danno. It's just…your stuff is everywhere. I guess I just expected you to keep everything to be in your bedroom." Grace wasn't sure she knew what she was expecting. "Where's your couch?"

Danny laughed and ran a little movie in his head where the couch was being subjected to countless indignities. "I don't know babe and I don't care. I'm only glad I don't have to sleep on it anymore."

Steve decided that maybe he needed to clarify what he and Danny had decided. He drew her over to his couch and they both sat. "Grace, Danno brought everything he wanted to keep here. He wouldn't need the couch and some other things since I already have them here. He donated everything else to someone who could use them. You and Danny aren't just staying in your bedrooms. You are sharing my whole house. You can bring some of your things over and keep them here. We'll make room for them. I want you to feel at home here. Do you think you can do that?"

Grace turned on a 100-watt smile. She hugged Steve and kissed his cheek. "I can do that Uncle Steve."

Steve tousled her hair and gave her one of his own bright smiles. "Great. Why don't you help Danno unpack your things? I'm going to change out of these work clothes and take my family out to dinner tonight – my treat."

Danny had watched the exchange between the pair intently. Why had he ever accused Steve of being bad with kids? Steve was a natural, at least with Grace. When he spoke to her, her always got down to her level and looked her squarely in the eye. He never talked down to her and always made sure she was following whatever he was saying. And the big goof, he was so sweet with her!

Grace jumped up with the mention of dinner. She ran over and grabbed Danny's handed, and then urged him upstairs. Steve grabbed the duffel and dropped it in Grace's room. Then he went back to his own room to get ready for dinner. He decided on a quick shower and was ready in 10 minutes.

He heard Danny in the other bath; Danny decided a shower and change of clothes sounded too good to pass up. Finally the three assembled downstairs. They were all in shorts and tees and flip-flops.

Steve surveyed the group and said, "Well, it's a good thing I had a casual place in mind. Let's head out. I have just the place in mind. How does pizza sound? My family used to go to this place when I was you're age Grace"

Danny laughed and cut in, "No, I refuse to believe that you were ever Grace's age."

Steve knew that Danny was only kidding by the gleam in his eye. "Of course I was. I have pictures. At least I have progressed beyond childhood unlike someone I know. Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, this restaurant has been around for over 30 years. Mary and I loved going there, and I hope you like it too."

Danny realized that Steve was trying to share some of his childhood with them and that he was a little insecure about it. "Hey, as long as I can get a pie without ham and pineapple, I'll be happy."

Crystal's* turned out to be a large storefront in a strip shopping center. Steve, Danny, and Grace stood in line, waiting to order their pizza. They decided on one Hawaiian and one pepperoni pizza and soft drinks. Steve also ordered the salad bar or else he knew that he would pig out on the pizza. After ordering, they surveyed the layout of the restaurant.

There was a large room with open seating in the center and privacy booths around the perimeter. There was also a drink station, a salad bar and two other doors in the back. One led to an arcade judging from the sound. Steve motioned for them to enter the other door. They filled their drinks and collected plates, napkins and utensils first.

Door #2 was a multi level viewing room with long tables and benches on either side of the center aisle. Old Looney Tunes cartoons were showing. Danny and Grace were delighted with Steve's choice. Little did Steve know that they usually spent the first couple of hours on their Saturdays together watching Bugs and Daffy.

Danny looked at Steve and asked, "How is it possible I've been here over a year and never found this place? You my friend have been holding out on me."

The trio settled at an open table halfway up the aisle. Steve went back to make his salad. Then they all watched the action until their order number came up on the board. Danny retrieved their pizzas and they all grabbed a slice.

Steve realized that his all-time favorite Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd cartoon was coming on. Elmer was a hunter as usual, but this time the dialogue was sung in opera style. Bugs is dressed as a femme fatale and is riding on a big horse. Why is Bugs in drag always so funny, and why does Elmer always fall for it? Of course, Elmer is furious when he sees through the disguise. He calls down the wrath of the gods and is running around singing "Kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit now".

Steve is laughing so hard that tears are running down his cheeks. Danny thought he might have to administer CPR if Steve didn't catch his breath. In a hundred years, Danny would never have imagined being in a place like this with Steve and Grace. It was beyond unbelievable.

Finally the cartoons ended. During the brief pause, Danny surveyed the other customers. He knew Steve could probably give him a complete description on every single person. He saw several other families, and then he saw what appeared to be fathers with their child or children. There were no moms in sight.

For Danny, it was a reminder of his life with Grace since his divorce. Danny remembered a song from a CD his mother liked to play while she worked in the kitchen. It spoke of 'Sunday Fathers'**; the day was theirs by law. They were in parks or at the movies, beaches, zoos, anywhere inexpensive. They had one day every week or two to re-connect with the children they 'lost' in custody battles. It was a poignant story of loss and sadness.

Danny could feel their pain from across the room. He thought about how he had planned their time together so that Grace would have a happy memory to keep her through the week. He realized that now that Grace would be spending so much time with him, he would need to establish a new pattern. Families didn't spend all their time going out or playing games. They had chores to do and needed some downtime on their own.

Danny also knew that Steve would need some private time. They all would. And while they wouldn't want to spend their weekends with Grace cleaning and shopping and otherwise working the whole time, they did need for her to share in some of the household duties. He knew that he would need to discuss the matter with Steve after Grace went to bed tonight.

For now, there was more fun ahead. A Three Stooges episode started on the big screen. These were also a favorite of Danny's. He and Mattie used to imitate Moe and Larry, much to the irritation of their father. Danny was quickly absorbed in the nonsense.

By the time a couple of short clips had ended, Danny, Steve and Grace had finished as much of the pizza as they could manage. Steve got a couple of carry out boxes. One would have been enough, but Danny was adamant about not letting the ham and pineapple contaminate his pepperoni pizza.

They adjourned to the arcade where Danny reigned as the king of skeeball. Grace turned out to be pretty adept too; Steve never did get the hang of it. He alternately threw the ball too softly so that it never reached the rings or he threw it so hard that it rolled over the top without scoring. Steve wanted to pout but also wanted to set a good example for Grace. Damn, he thought, I never planned on being a role model. His regard for Danny shot up several more points.

Finally, they let Grace cash in their tickets and headed home. The quiet of the car was almost deafening after the din of the arcade. They were content to ride home in silence. The spices of the leftover pizza permeated the interior of the Camaro. There was still enough pizza left for lunch tomorrow.

Upon arriving home, they all headed upstairs. Steve needed to return a couple of phone calls, one to Joe White and another to Kono. Steve had been trying to connect with Kono all week. They had talked some shortly after 5-0 was reinstated. Steve had offered to come clean about his involvement in the asset forfeiture cash, but Kono was adamant that he keep quiet. Truthfully, they would all be implicated if Steve spoke up; at least this way, only Kono was under investigation.

Danny helped Grace finish unpacking. There was plenty of space in the dresser and closet for her clothes. There were some pictures she wanted to keep in her room, mostly of her with Rachel and sometimes Stan. "Is it okay for me to have these here? I don't want them to make you sad." Grace realized that Danny might not want to have pictures with Rachel and Stan there.

"Monkey, you heard Uncle Steve. You're free to bring whatever will make you happy and comfortable. How about we take some pictures of you with me and Uncle Steve this week? Then you could have pictures of your family here to keep at your mom's."

"I'd like that Danno. I'm a little tired. If I change into my jammies, will you and Uncle Steve read me a bedtime story?"

Danny wasn't sure if Steve was up for story time but he offered to check. "Let me see what Uncle Steve is up to. Did you bring a book?" Grace produced a book, one of the 'Diaries of a Wimpy Kid' series. Danny nodded his approval and left to find Steve while Grace changed.

Steve had just finished up his call with Joe. Kono wasn't taking his call so he made a mental note to try again tomorrow. He had left his door open, and Danny ducked his head in. "Grace wants to know if you want to help read her a bedtime story. It's okay if you don't." Danny wanted to give Steve an out.

Steve didn't need an out. He put down his phone and followed Danny back to Grace's bedroom. Together, they pulled her bed down. All three settled against the pillows which had been propped against the headboard. They spent almost an hour reading, first Danny and then Steve. Danny had a lot more experience and was a colorful reader.

Steve was a little stiff at first. He could have been reading an instruction manual on how to clean his weapon. After a few minutes, he got into the story. It would be a while before he was up to Danno standards, but he was getting there.

Steve loved sharing this with Danny and Grace. His mother had read to Mary and him when they were younger. He never thought that he would be on this side of the book. He never thought he would be part of a family like this.

Finally, Grace was too tired to keep her eyes open. The men each gave Grace a hug and kiss before wishing her 'good night'. Out in the hall, Steve asked Danny "Want a beer?" The restaurant didn't serve liquor, but they would not have had any even if it had been available. It was a family night for them.

Danny answered, "Yeah, just give me a chance to empty my pockets." Danny came down a few minutes later. He realized that now was a good time to talk about establishing a new routine for life with Grace. Their activities this week would set precedence for all future visits. He wasn't sure how to proceed but he thought that Steve would have some good ideas.

Danny was used to making the few decisions he made concerning Grace alone. There were a lot more decisions coming up, and he was grateful that he would not need to make them all alone. He was pretty sure Steve would want to be involved; Danny was seeing another side of Steve he didn't think existed.

Steve brought in a couple of Longboards and handed one to Danny. "Well Danny, what's on your mind?"

_*Crystal's is a now-defunct restaurant in Ft. Worth, TX. My kids loved going there in the '80's. We spent many hours watching cartoons and episodes from the Three Stooges and 'Star Trek' (back when there was only the original)._

_** "Sunday Father" is a Barry Manilow song. Yes, I'm old enough to be Danny's and Steve's mother. Even if you're not a Manilow song, it bears listening to._


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

"Well, Danny, what's on your mind? What, are you psychic now?" Danny was surprised at Steve's question. He was a pretty good poker player and didn't think that he had given Steve or Grace any sign that he was preoccupied.

"No Danny, I'm not psychic. Your shoulders tense up and you get your own version of 'constipated face' when you're worried about something. What's the problem? Grace had a great time tonight. She's sleeping soundly upstairs, and we have another week before she goes back to Rachel's. What's the problem?" Steve made a motion for Danny to sit down. Then he deliberately sat down on the cushion next to Danny. He might have a moratorium on 'Operation Danno', but there was no reason he couldn't take a little enjoyment when the opportunity arose.

"I sometimes forget how well you've been trained in observation. There's no problem. It's just that I realized while we were at Crystal's that since Grace will be living with us instead of just visiting, we need to…" Danny was having trouble verbalizing his concern.

"Look, when I only got Grace for a day or so every other week, I tried to make every visit special. That's not what families do. I mean, I still want to try to do something special while Grace is here. But I'm thinking about what we did during the weekends when I was a kid. We went to the store with Mom or worked around the house with Dad. We had friends over or went to their house. I think it's important for us to get some sort of normal rhythm. Otherwise, we're going to wear ourselves out trying to entertain Grace, and that's not what any of us need.

Steve was taken aback by Danny's words. He had been building a mental laundry list of things he wanted to share with Danny and Grace. He was crestfallen that Danny might not want to do those things.

Danny could see Steve's disappointment and tried to reassure him. "I want us to provide a normal family life for Grace here. It means that maybe we should mix in some chores with the fun. Grace brought over some things to keep her busy. But I thought that maybe we could take her to the library so she could get a couple of more books and maybe some DVDs. Rachel and Stan buy her anything she wants, but I remember going to the library when I was a kid. It was a treat to pick out a stack of books on whatever interested me."

Danny went on. "I've visited the library a few times since I moved here to pick up movies. They've got all sorts of things on DVD: movies, old TV shows, documentaries. I would like to make the library part of our routine. I've also noticed that your grass is getting a little tall. Can we help you with some yard work tomorrow? And I think the Camaro could use a good cleaning. What do you think?" Danny was running out of steam but was relieved to see Steve flash a quick smile.

Steve understood Danny's point now and agreed. But the image of Danny washing the car was what made Steve smile. He knew that he would be helping with the car and was pretty sure Danno was going to end up with a wet t-shirt or better yet, no shirt at all. Yeah, and the truck stand a wash too.

Steve had been playing it cool since Danny moved in. For months, Steve saw Danny mostly in trousers, button-down shirt, tie, and dress shoes. He's seen Danny more in casual clothes the last week than he had in the last year. One morning when Steve was heading to his room to shower after his daily workout, he had a glimpse of Danny coming out of the hall bath wearing only a low-slung pair of boxers. Steve had replayed that scene in his head several times.

"Earth to Steve! Where did you go super-SEAL? I lost you for a minute there." Danny was waving his hand in front of Steve, trying to snap him back to the present.

Steve was glad he was sitting down. He had been playing his favorite movie again. It never failed to arouse him. Now he felt guilty. Here Danny was being a concerned parent and Steve had his own mini-porn show going on. Great, he was blushing now. Steve took another swig of beer and tried to focus on Danny.

"I guess I hadn't thought about it that way. It's a good thing one of us has experience being a parent. I guess I really suck at it." Steve thought he had been doing a pretty good job with Grace and now he was discouraged.

"Hey, you're doing a great job. You really pay attention to how Grace is doing. When she talks to you, you listen like she's the only person left on earth. And you never talk down to her." Danny really wanted to wipe the disappointment off Steve's face. Steve had worked so hard to make Danny and Grace at ease in his home; no, make that their home.

Danny reached over to Steve and was patting his shoulder. It had been a few days since they had any physical contact and Steve relished the feeling. He sighed and relaxed again. "Thanks Danny. That means a lot coming from you. You're such a great dad. And I agree. How about the library first since we're going to end up sweaty and maybe wet cutting the grass and washing your car? Do you think we can wash my truck too?"

Danny grinned. "I'm sure we can work it in. Now that we've got that settled, is there anything good on TV tonight?" Danny grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. Except for baseball, summer TV is the worst. Everything is a rerun or a reality show.

They finally settled on an old movie, "Ruthless People". Both men were a little worn out from their busy week and were content to let the movie play on. Then they both were drawn into the plot. Bette Midler and Danny DeVito made an unlikely couple. Bette's character had been kidnapped and Danny didn't want to pay to get her back until the police accused him of her murder. The kidnappers kept dropping the price until the ransom was only $5,000. When Bette discovered this, she lamented "I've been kidnapped by K-mart".

By the time that the ransom drop was interrupted by a mugger in a Goofy mask, Danny and Steve were laughing helplessly. As the final credits rolled, they collapsed against each other a little breathless. Steve hadn't laughed this much in years. His sides were aching. Steve knew that on some level, it was a reaction to the extreme stress he had been under the last few months. Still, it was very liberating to let go like this. He was leaning into Danny now and his head was resting on Danny's shoulder.

Danny was surprised how much Steve had loosened up in the past week. Steve was always a full-steam ahead kind of guy. He couldn't remember ever seeing Steve so relaxed and content. It was nice sitting like this, almost a little intimate. Danny had missed this closeness to another person (other than Grace). He had carried so much on his shoulders since moving to Hawaii, even since the divorce. It had eaten at him being out of Grace's life so much.

Danny knew he could always talk to his parents, but they were already upset enough about his divorce. Now they had to deal with Mattie's embezzlement and disappearance. He couldn't add to their burden. His sibs were busy with their own families. There had been no one for him, no one he could share his life with. He was still surprised to find himself so at home with Steve.

For the better part of a year, Steve had riled him up ignoring proper police procedure. He had taunted Danny about his 'boo-boo' when his knee injury flared up. He would disagree with Danny just on principle. Now Steve was relaxed and open.

Danny had expected Steve to go ballistic when Lori Weston was forced on the team. He thought Steve would shut her out of their case every chance he got. Instead, Steve had accepted her presence, at least for the moment. And Danny could tell he was making an attempt to live with Governor Demming's ground rules.

Danny glanced over at Steve, surprised to find him dozing off. Danny had never seen Steve asleep like this. He should have been uncomfortable with the other man so close, but instead he was reminded of the evening at the hospital when Rachel had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Instinctively, Danny put his arm around Steve and pulled him in a little closer, just as he had done with Rachel.

Danny wasn't sure what was going on. Looking back over the last week, he remembered the moments Steve had moved a little closer than necessary (like now on the couch) or had reached out to touch Danny. Steve hadn't flinched any of the times that Danny had initiated the contact.

Danny thought about the time that he had inadvertently wandered into a gay bar one night here in Hawaii. Before Danny could realize his mistake, someone was hitting on him. Danny was out of there like a shot. He was pretty sure Steve wasn't gay. He had been with Catherine after all. He decided that Steve was probably just lonely and missing human contact. Everyone had a need to be touched.

Finally, Danny decided it was time for them to head upstairs. "Hey super-SEAL. Wake up. It's time to go to bed." Danny winced when he realized how stupid that sounded. Steve woke up and realized the position he was in. He had dozed off cuddled up to Danny, and Danny's arm was around him.

"I'm comfortable here Danno. Don't want to wake up", Steve whined. He knew this would be added to his playlist of 'Danno' moments, memories from the last week of being close to Danny like this. This would make the top of his hit parade for sure.

"Yeah well, you weigh a ton and I'm tired. We have a busy day ahead of us. Up you go." Danny had managed to shove Steve upright. He stood up, offered a hand to Steve, and pulled him to a standing position. "I'll take care of these bottles and make sure everything is locked up. You go on up."

"Thanks Danno. Good night", was all Steve could manage before he hit the stairs. "Good night Steve" was Danny's reply. It was a good night indeed: a family dinner, a little family reading, Grace in bed in the next room, and Steve asleep across the hall. It doesn't get any better than this.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Danny was aware that someone was in his room. He was no longer disoriented waking in the quiet room and comfortable bed. When he heard a half-giggle, he knew that Grace was staging one of her morning tickle attacks. Danny wasn't ticklish but he loved playing this game with Grace. Sure enough, Grace covered the last few feet to the bed and jumped on Danny. Her fingers dug into his ribs and she was laughing, "I got you Danno."

"You certainly do Monkey. And now I got you." Danny flipped her off to the side and tickled Grace. She squirmed and giggled, trying to get away.

"Stop, Stop. I give up Danno." Grace threw her arms around Danny for a big hug. He gladly returned the hug. He loved starting the day this way. Then he noticed the house was still quiet.

"Is Uncle Steve still out playing SEAL?" Steve was always up before Danny.

"I don't think so. His door is still closed." Grace paused for a moment, and then got a very mischievous grin on her face. "Danno", she whispered, "do you think that Uncle Steve is ticklish?"

"I don't know Grace," he whispered back, "but I would pay money to find out". So Danny and Grace crept out of his room and tiptoed to Steve's. Just before Danny opened Steve's door, he realized that startling a sleeping SEAL might not be a good tactical move. As they inched toward Steve, Danny whispered to Grace, loud enough to alert Steve to their presence. "You take that side," Danny pointed to the far of the bed, "and I'll take this side".

Steve was awake now and wondered what was coming. If it had only been Danny, he might have planned a countermove. But he was intrigued by whatever Grace had planned. Suddenly, he knew as Grace jumped on Steve's back and tickled him.

Danny waited half a beat before joining in the fun. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The stoic super-SEAL are ticklish! Oh, this was too good! Steve had probably survived all kinds of torture during his years as a SEAL, not to mention the hell of BUDS training. Now he was at their mercy. Well, maybe not.

In one graceful motion, Steve flipped over and now had Grace pinned. He was grinning like a loon and giving Grace a taste of her own medicine. He shot Danny a look that said, "You will pay for this, and it will be a steep price."

Danny didn't care. He and Grace were both laughing now. "I never thought I would see the day when a nine-year old would get the drop you. This is sleeping in for you babe. You okay?"

Steve glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost 9 a.m. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept so late. What happened to his internal alarm clock? Then he blinked. Grace brought her legs up as only a kid can and was now under the sheet with him. She snuggled up against him.

Then Danny slipped under the sheet too. Danny leaned over to cuddle with Grace. Now the men were so close that Steve could feel Danny's warm breath on his cheek. Grace was the middle of a little 5-0 sandwich.

"Wow Danny, I must have really conked out last night. I don't remember coming to bed." Steve was relieved that he had managed to don his sleep pants. When he was really tired, he sometimes just stripped down before crawling into bed. That wouldn't be wise with a little girl in the house.

Then Steve had a flashback to his childhood. How many times had he and Mary crawled into his parents' bed like this on the weekend? Sometimes it would be the first time all week that they would see his dad if there was a big case going on. He had closed the door on all those memories when his mom was killed. It was too painful to remember the enormity of his loss. Now the memories were coming fast and furious.

Danny saw the flash of sorrow on Steve's face and knew he must be thinking about his family. Steve had given him so much in the past week, and now Danny wanted to give something back. "Well, I did think that I might have to tuck you in myself. We had a pretty tough week. Give yourself a break. Should we tell Grace what we had in mind for today?"

So the men settled back into the pillows, both curled around Grace so that their legs were all tangled together. They told her about the planned trip to the library and the work they needed to accomplish. They asked about her week at Rachel's. Danny told her about his visit to the Hookala home. Grace was delighted with the arrangement. She like Ali a lot and had missed her this summer.

Steve asked Grace if she was interested in playing any sports (other than tennis, thanks to Stan). He thought a visit to a department store might be on the agenda. He wanted to pick up some sports equipment: a soccer ball, softball, some gloves, and a bat. He also wanted to pick up some jigsaw puzzles. He knew Danny would not let him spend much money on Grace, but he thought he could get away with a few things. Then he would sneak things in a little at a time if he needed to.

The next time Steve looked at the clock, it was after 9:30. He was enjoying this cozy family scene so much that he had lost track of time. Danny was enjoying this too. He was relieved to see the light back in Steve's eyes again. He gave everyone one last hug and got out of bed. "How about we get this show on the road? Let's get washed up and get some breakfast."

Grace and Danny left Steve to get dressed. Steve finally made it out of bed and quickly made the bed. Both sides of the bed were wrinkled now, not just the side that Steve slept on. He noticed Danny's scent as he smoothed the sheets where Danny had lain. He hugged the pillow and drew in a deep breath. Horrified, he quickly dropped the pillow.

Damn, I've turned into such a girl over Danno. I'm really in trouble here. He remembered how good it had felt to be tangled up with Danny in the sheets. He imagined a version where Grace wasn't between them and they were cuddling close. Great, now he would have to wait for his erection to go down before he could go downstairs.

Danny was thinking about Steve too, how much he enjoyed laying there with Grace between them. It reminded him of the time before the divorce when he and Rachel had shared a morning snuggle with Grace. He realized that more and more, he and Steve were replicating some of his experiences with Rachel. He decided that it was just because they were co-parents now. The alternative was something that he didn't want to consider. He and Steve were such great partners at 5-0, and this family thing they were starting was turning out to be even better. He couldn't afford to screw it up by becoming attracted to Steve.

Little did either men realize Grace's thoughts that morning. She liked cuddling with Danno and Step-Steve, as she was now beginning to think of him. She also remembered cuddling in bed with her mom and Danno. She never got to do that with Rachel now unless Stan was traveling. Stan was nice enough to her, but she didn't think that he would welcome that kind of intrusion. She wondered if the new baby would someday cuddle in bed with them on a Saturday morning. She was thrilled to have a little brother or sister, but she wondered if she was being replaced, at least with Stan.

She liked this new family with Danno and Step-Steve a lot. Uncle Steve was new to being a dad, but he was doing a great job. The best part is how happy Danno is now. She had been worried about him for a long time. Grace knew that he had been very angry after the divorce and she had missed him so much. The loss was doubled when her mom moved her to Hawaii. She had been angry too about the move but didn't want to hurt her mommy.

Then Danno had moved to Hawaii too, but he was so unhappy here. She hadn't like his apartment either. The neighbors yelled at each other a lot and there wasn't much to do there. She couldn't keep anything there between visits.

She liked Uncle Steve's house. She had her own room and he said she could put her pictures and things wherever she wanted. There was a private beach to play and swim. She could tell that Danno liked Uncle Steve's house too. When she talked to him on the phone this week, she could tell he was smiling all the way to his eyes. Sometimes he just smiled with his mouth. She knew he did that to make her feel better. When Danno was really happy, he got crinkly lines around his eyes.

She wondered why Danno and Step-Steve were in separate rooms. Parents usually shared a bed, didn't they, unless they were divorced. She decided she would ask them at breakfast. Grace's phone rang just before she left the bedroom. It was Rachel calling to say good morning. They chatted for about 10 minutes and Grace finally made it to the kitchen. Uncle Steve was making omelets while Danny was manning the toaster. They would have a good breakfast to start a good day.

_Wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall during breakfast? The thing about kids is you never know what is going to come out of their mouths. They're better than cable TV. Stay tuned for the next chapter._


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Ideas are fictional; not making any money on this. Hawaii 5-0 belongs to CBS. That's okay because none of this would work on TV.

Grace set the table while Steve and Danny finished cooking. They all sat down together to share breakfast. Danny asked Grace "What took you so long Monkey? I thought I was going to have to come up and get you."

Grace explained that her mom had called. Danny wasn't surprised that Rachel phoned Grace. He knew Rachel was probably going into 'Grace withdrawal', an ailment he had suffered from constantly since the divorce.

"How's your omelet Grace? I wasn't sure what you liked in it, but Danno said cheese would be okay." Steve wasn't sure if Grace liked the dish or not. She was eating slowly and looked puzzled.

"It's good, thank you. Danno, I was wondering why you and Step-Steve aren't sleeping in the same bedroom like Mommy and Step-Stan." Grace had decided there was no time like the present to ask her question.

Steve had just taken a sip of coffee and was now choking. Danny was a little more fortunate; he had a forkful of eggs halfway to his mouth when Grace dropped her bombshell. Now Danny was a little frantic. He looked over at Steve, who was still red in the face but at least he was breathing again.

Danny didn't quite know what to say. Then he had an inspired thought. "Step-Steve, do you want to handle the question?"

Frankly, Steve wasn't sure he could field the question without giving his feelings away. He thought things were progressing nicely with Danny. They were forming a cohesive little family with Grace. Danny and Grace had even ventured into his room this morning, although Steve suspected that Grace had initiated the foray. He went with a neutral "Why do you ask Grace?"

Grace chewed on her lower lip and explained, "I was thinking this morning that we were doing the same things that I used to do with Mommy and Danno before the divorce. So I wondered why you and Danno aren't doing the same things that Mommy and Danno used to do."

Now Steve had another movie going in his head. It was getting to the point where a new show started every hour. He didn't want to tell her, "Well Grace, it's because Danno and I are men" because he hoped someday Danno would be in his bed. It would be too confusing later.

Then Steve noticed the shift in titles: he had moved from Uncle Steve to Step-Steve. She thought of him as another parent, the same as Stan. Frankly, he had hoped for a better title, maybe Super-Step-Steve. But Step-Steve was more than he had ever hoped for. Now he had the goofy grin on his face again.

It's fourth down and long yardage. Steve punted back to Danny. "I'm not sure why Danno isn't sharing my bedroom. It's got a big comfy bed in it. I only sleep on one side of the bed. I don't snore. Why aren't you sharing my bedroom Danno", Steve asked, doing his best to keep an innocent look on his face.

Danno stared thoughtfully at Steve. 'What is the super-SEAL up to now?' He knew that Steve was skilled in strategic operations. It would help if Danno knew what the objective was now. He did a rapid review of the facts.

He had asked Steve if he could bring Grace for a visit, and Steve had asked them to stay for the weekend.

Steve had re-done the extra bedrooms so they were ready for guests.

When Danny asked if he could stay for a couple of months, Steve immediately agreed.

Steve had cooked family meals for them.

Steve was talking more often about his childhood.

When Danny had brought home the news that Grace now considered them a family, Steve thought it was a great idea. Even if it meant the couple of months stay was now open-ended and that he _c_ould not bring women home for a 'sleepover'.

Danny often found himself touching Steve, or vice versa. The contact was comfortable and often prolonged.

Steve seemed really happy these days.

Danny is really happy these days.

Baseball is Danny's game but he knew a little about the football. When your opponent least expects it, sometimes a first down pass to the end zone pays off. What the hell, it would be worth it to see the look on McGarrett's face. "I guess we just hadn't thought about it. You know what Grace, I think it's a great idea. How about after breakfast, we move my stuff into Step-Steve's room?"

Danny was talking to Grace but he was watching Steve's face carefully. Oh, the innocent look on Steve's face was gone now, replaced by something more intense. For a moment, Danny was afraid Steve was going to call a personal foul and take away the touchdown. Steve closed his eyes briefly; the innocent look was back again.

Steve put his hand on Grace's shoulder and she turned to him. "Grace, it's a good thing you're here. It looks like Danno and I are going to need your help if we're going to be a real family. That's what I want more than anything in the world."

Grace gave Steve her biggest smile. "No problem Step-Steve. I want us to be a family. You do too, don't you Danno?"

Both Steve and Grace gave him their best puppy dog eyes. "Is that what you want Danno?" Steve held his breath, praying that Danny wouldn't call his bluff now and leave with Grace.

That thought must have shown on Steve's face. Danny needed to make a decision. Is it possible that Steve is attracted to him too? It certainly seems that Steve not only wants them to stay but also wants Danny in his bed. "Yeah, that's what I want. Let's clean up the dishes and we can move my stuff."

The move was anti-climactic compared to the minefield at breakfast. Danny was surprised that Steve had such a variety of suits, shirts, and shoes considering his limited work uniform. But there was plenty of room in the walk-in closet that Steve's parents had shared. Danny's skimpier wardrobe barely filled half of his side of the closet. 'I guess Steve is the woman in this relationship if we're judging based on clothes.' Steve had only used half of the dresser and chest of drawers. Or had Steve re-arranged his clothes just for this eventuality?

The master bath was oversized, with a long double-vanity, and walk-in shower and a separate tub with jets. Danny muttered that he would continue to use the hall bath, but Steve pointed out that there was plenty of room. Plus the shower had multiple sprays and the Jacuzzi came in handy after a brutal day at work. Now Danny had a little movie going in his head. Shit, shit, what had he agreed to? What kind of game was Steve playing?

"Hey Steve, how did you end up with such a nice master suite? The closet and bath are bigger than my old living room."

"My mom used to complain about the closets and the small bath. My dad spent almost a year changing the extra bedroom into a walk-in closet and master bath. Over the years, he upgraded the fixtures. He had just finished the year before Mom was killed." Steve looked sad now. He had been quite animated since breakfast, helping Danny carry his clothes in and everything. Whatever was going on, it obviously wasn't a game for Steve.

Steve was deep in his own thoughts. It was a good thing he had abandoned 'Operation Danno' because it looked like Commander Grace was running her own op. Steve liked where she was going so he happily want along with the ride.

Danny stopped stowing his shave gear in cabinet. "Steve, I can sleep in the other room and sneak in before Grace gets up. Or I can just stay in here during Grace's week here." Just standing in the same bathroom with Steve was putting him on overload. He had an image of shaving at the sink while Steve comes in and strips out of his board shorts before stepping into the shower.

Steve sighed and tried to decide how to handle this. Truth be told, he was uncertain too. He knew how he felt about Danny, but he had never been with a man. He suspected the same was true for Danny. Gee, they were both 35 year old virgins when it came to this. How embarrassing is that? He had down all the moves when it came to women. Now he was changing the playbook.

"Danny, I don't like that idea. First, it would be deceiving Grace, and I don't ever want to do that. Second, we would be going through an adjustment period every week. We would be living one way with Grace, and another way when she is at Rachel's. It would be a matter of time before our little family had a breakdown. That would break my heart."

Steve decided that nothing less than the truth would work now. He was willing to take it slow and let them both adjust to their new dynamic. It would be worse if Danny and Grace stayed for a while and then left because the strain was too much. He would lose Danny and Grace. At least if Danny left now, he could salvage something with both of them.

Danny searched Steve's face for the truth and saw love and concern in his eyes. Danny thought about what would happen tonight, laying on one side of the bed with Steve on the other. Would he even be able to sleep with Steve there? He thought about being in the big bed with Steve and Grace this morning. They were all cuddled up together. Danny had liked it a lot. He thought about cuddling with Steve without Grace as a buffer. Yeah, that worked for him.

"No that wouldn't work, would it? Listen, we need to talk about this but not when Grace could walk in any minute. And we have a full day ahead of us. I just need to know that this is not a game for you and that there is something going on between us, something new."

"Danno, I swear this is no game. I've never been more serious about anything. I don't know what you're feeling but I'm certain how I feel. Can we talk tonight after Grace is in bed?

Steve looked vulnerable now. Danny had seen smug, arrogant, cocky, and scary Steve. He had never seen this Steve before. "Yeah, it's a date. Two Longboards on the lanai after Grace is in bed."

Steve smiled that half-smile of his and replied, "It's a date".

_I had planned on continuing this story for a while but Commander Grace high-jacked my story while I wasn't looking. There will be a sequel following very shortly with a more mature rating and a slash warning. Hope you join me._


End file.
